A Phantom-Based Curriculum for Teaching and Assessing Ultrasound Neuraxial Skills in Pediatric Anesthesia Trainees - Development and Implementation

Q: Why is simulation needed for pediatric ultrasound-guided neuraxial techniques?

Practice opportunities are limited because pediatric neuraxial procedures are high-risk and anatomically variable. Simulation provides a safe way to develop competence without exposing patients to unnecessary risk.

Q: What did the curriculum include for trainees?

It included pre-workshop online content, a hands-on scanning session with a pediatric spine phantom, and a three-minute skills assessment. Trainees also completed identical quizzes before, after, and at six-month or longer follow-up.

Q: What outcomes improved after the workshop?

Participants showed significant improvement in knowledge from pre- to post-workshop, with sustained retention at follow-up. Comfort and the frequency of ultrasound use increased, and attendees demonstrated proficiency in obtaining critical neuraxial ultrasound views.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by WPS_1786070896

Opportunities to practice ultrasound-guided or assisted neuraxial techniques in pediatric anesthesia are constrained by patient safety risk and anatomical variability. A phantom-based, simulation-enhanced curriculum was developed using a validated shelf-stable pediatric spine model to standardize instruction and build competence. Trainees completed structured pre-workshop learning, a hands-on scanning session, and a brief skills assessment. Knowledge, comfort, and ultrasound use were measured via matched quizzes before, immediately after, and at six-month or longer follow-up.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Review began 10/08/2025 Review ended 11/13/2025 Published 12/09/2025 © Copyright 2025 Webb et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0. , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original author and source are credited. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.98807 Open Access Original Article A Phantom-Based Curriculum for Teaching and Assessing Ultrasound Neuraxial Skills in Pediatric Anesthesia Trainees: Development and Implementation Leah Webb 1, Melissa M. Masaracchia 2, Kim M. Strupp 1 1. Pediatric Anesthesiology, Children 's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA 2. Pediatric Anesthesiology, Cohen Children 's Medical Center, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Queens, USA Corresponding author: Leah Webb, [leah.webb@childrenscolorado.org](leah.webb@childrenscolorado.org) Abstract Introduction Opportunities to practice ultrasound-guided/assisted (USGA) neuraxial techniques in pediatric patients are limited due to the high-risk nature and anatomical variability of this population. Simulation-based education offers a safe and effective method for trainees to develop competence in these challenging procedures. Methods We developed a curriculum using a previously validated, shelf-stable pediatric spine phantom designed to replicate sonographic anatomy. Pediatric anesthesiology trainees participated in a structured workshop that included pre-workshop online content, a hands-on scanning session, and a three-minute skills assessment. Participants completed identical pre-, post-, and six-month or more follow-up quizzes consisting of 14 knowledge-based questions and items assessing comfort and practice behavior. Paired-samples t-tests were used to compare mean percent correct scores between pre-and post-intervention and between pre-and follow-up assessments. To control for multiple comparisons, a Bonferroni correction was applied (adjusted α=0 .025) . Analyses were verified using R software (version 4.4.0) . Descriptive statistics evaluated shifts in comfort and behavior. Results Twenty-six trainees (13 fellows, 13 residents) enrolled ; 20 completed the full curriculum, and 18 completed follow-up assessment. Participants demonstrated significant improvement from pre-to post-workshop (t(27)=−5 .72, p< .001, d=1 .15, large), with sustained knowledge retention at follow-up (t(27)=−4 .15, p< .001, d=0 .63, medium) ; similar trends were observed among fellows and residents, indicating consistent learning gains across training levels. All workshop attendees demonstrated proficiency in obtaining six critical neuraxial ultrasound views. Self-reported comfort and frequency of ultrasound use increased across all groups, with positive trends sustained at follow-up. Participant feedback was uniformly favorable. Conclusions A phantom-based, simulation-enhanced curriculum significantly improved and sustained pediatric regional anesthesia knowledge, technical skills (based on end-of-workshop assessment), comfort, and reported use of ultrasound for neuraxial procedures in pediatric anesthesia trainees, demonstrating durable learning gains and strong educational impact. This low-risk, reproducible educational model may help institutions implement structured training in USGA neuraxial techniques and promote broader adoption of ultrasound in pediatric regional anesthesia. Future multicenter validation should evaluate its generalizability across diverse training environments. Categories: Medical Education, Pain Management, Anesthesiology Keywords: epidural training, pediatric anesthesiology, simulation in medical education, skills and simulation training, spinal analgesia Introduction Despite the increasing use of ultrasound for regional and neuraxial anesthesia, significant training gaps persist in pediatric anesthesia education worldwide. A rece

FAQs

Why is simulation needed for pediatric ultrasound-guided neuraxial techniques?

Practice opportunities are limited because pediatric neuraxial procedures are high-risk and anatomically variable. Simulation provides a safe way to develop competence without exposing patients to unnecessary risk.

What did the curriculum include for trainees?

It included pre-workshop online content, a hands-on scanning session with a pediatric spine phantom, and a three-minute skills assessment. Trainees also completed identical quizzes before, after, and at six-month or longer follow-up.

What outcomes improved after the workshop?

Participants showed significant improvement in knowledge from pre- to post-workshop, with sustained retention at follow-up. Comfort and the frequency of ultrasound use increased, and attendees demonstrated proficiency in obtaining critical neuraxial ultrasound views.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by WPS_1786070896