Teaching Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Cannulation to Doctors in the UK - A Quality Improvement, Feasibility, and Impact Evaluation

Sep 28, 2026

Timely peripheral IV access underpins lifesaving interventions such as IV antibiotics in septic patients. Many doctors report limited confidence and technical proficiency with ultrasound-guided cannulation, potentially delaying treatment and prompting escalation to senior or anesthetic colleagues. A single-center pre-post quality improvement study evaluated a brief one-hour ultrasound-guided peripheral IV cannulation teaching intervention, combining didactic instruction and supervised hands-on practice using vascular block phantoms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

How to cite this article

Review began 11/07/2025 Review ended 12/08/2025 Published 12/15/2025 © Copyright 2025 Burridge et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CCBY 4.0. , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original author and source are credited. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.99248 Open Access Original Article Teaching Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Cannulation to Doctors in the UK: A Quality Improvement, Feasibility, and Impact Evaluation Isobel S. Burridge 1, Benjamin Samra 2, Stephen Cole 3 1. Trauma and Orthopedics, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, Huddersfield, GBR 2. General Surgery, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, GBR 3. Intensive Care, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, High Wycombe, GBR Corresponding author: Isobel S. Burridge, [isobel.burridge1@nhs.net](isobel.burridge1@nhs.net) Abstract Introduction Timely peripheral IV access is essential for delivering lifesaving treatments such as IV antibiotics in septic patients. However, many doctors lack confidence and technical proficiency in ultrasound (US)-guided cannulation, which may contribute to treatment delays and unnecessary escalation to senior or anesthetic colleagues. Methods As part of a quality improvement initiative, a single-center pre-post educational evaluation without a control group was conducted to assess the impact of a brief US-guided peripheral IV cannulation (US-PIVC) teaching intervention on clinicians’ self-reported confidence and subsequent translation into clinical practice. A reproducible one-hour mixed-modality session combining concise didactic instruction with supervised hands-on practice using Blue Phantom 2-Vessel Vascular Block phantoms was delivered. US machines equipped with high-frequency linear probes were used. The primary outcome was change in selfreported confidence, measured using a 10-point Likert scale across six domains. Secondary outcomes included self-reported clinical application, escalation to senior or anesthetic colleagues, and perceived need for further phantom practice at three months. Baseline surveys gathered information regarding escalation for difficult cannulations and perceived treatment delays. Confidence was measured immediately before and after training, and a three-month follow-up survey assessed subsequent clinical use. Results Twelve sessions trained 84 doctors. Baseline responses (n = 67) indicated that 83.6% had escalated difficult cannulations to senior or anesthetic colleagues in the preceding six months, and 91 .0% perceived delays inpatient care due to IV access difficulties. Pre-session confidence across all domains was low (mean scores, 1.21/10-4 .61/10) . Post-session confidence increased markedly to mean scores of 8 .96/10-10 .00/10 . Overall confidence in using the US to aid cannulation increased from 1.35 ± 0.89 to 9.23 ± 1.22. At the three-month follow-up (n = 35; 41. 7% response rate), 74.3% reported successful clinical use of US-PIVC, 88.6% felt no additional phantom practice was needed, and 5 . 7% had required escalation; however, baseline and follow-up escalation data were derived from different respondent groups and therefore do not represent a matched comparison. Conclusions A single one-hour mixed-modality US-PIVC teaching session, delivered using existing hospital resources, was associated with substantial improvements in self-reported confidence and self-reported clinical application among respondents. As the primary outcome was subjective confidence and no objective performance or patient-level outcomes were collected, the clinical impact should be interpreted cautiously. Brief, structured US-PIVC teaching sessions may enhance perceived procedural independence if embedded early in training, although further evaluation incorporating objective metrics is required to confirm clinical benefit. Categories: Medical Education, Me

FAQs

Why is ultrasound-guided peripheral IV cannulation important for doctors?

It supports timely IV access, enabling prompt administration of treatments such as IV antibiotics in sepsis and reducing delays that can occur with difficult access.

How was the teaching intervention delivered and what did it include?

A single one-hour mixed-modality session combined concise didactic instruction with supervised hands-on practice using Blue Phantom vascular block phantoms and ultrasound machines with high-frequency linear probes.

What outcomes were assessed to evaluate the impact of the training?

The primary outcome was change in self-reported confidence measured on a 10-point Likert scale across six domains; secondary outcomes included self-reported clinical application, escalation needs, and perceived need for further phantom practice at three months.

Sep 28, 2026

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