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The Thanksgiving Turkey Tap: A New and Simple Model for Teaching Ultrasound‐guided Thoracentesis
Author(s) -
Richardson Derek,
Straff Dean
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
academic emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1553-2712
pISSN - 1069-6563
DOI - 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2009.00392_6.x
Subject(s) - thoracentesis , medicine , pneumothorax , point of care ultrasound , ultrasound , radiology , surgery , medical physics , pleural effusion
Thoracentesis is a critical procedure that every emergency physician must be able to perform comfortably. By introducing ultrasound technology to the procedure, we have the potential to redefine the standard of care for emergency department thoracentesis by effectively decreasing complication rates of this procedure. Ultrasound‐guided thoracentesis has been shown to lead to fewer incidents of pneumothorax than the traditional technique; however, due to the complicated anatomy of the chest wall, this skill is difficult to teach without using living patient models. The NewYork‐Presbyterian Emergency Medicine Residency Program has developed an effective model for teaching and practicing ultrasound‐guided thoracentesis. The Presbyterian model uses a whole turkey with the cavity lined with a water‐retaining plastic sheet, containing water and an air‐filled balloon. Ultrasound can then be used to visualize the ribs, the underlying fluid, and the balloon representing lung space. By using a standard thoracentesis kit with our model, the complete procedure can be performed and techniques of positioning, entry point, and fluid collection can be demonstrated and practiced. This was performed for 50 medical students, residents, and attending physicians in late November 2008 for under $100. This simple model may be used to introduce new practitioners to thoracentesis, or to update experienced physicians on new techniques to decrease complication rates during procedures with an effective and inexpensive model.