Development and Validation of a Novel, User-Friendly Simulation Phantom for Ultrasound-Guided Transvaginal Pelvic Abscess Drainage.

Abstract

Background: The increasing integration of point-of-care ultrasound into clinical practice necessitates effective training tools. One such practice is pelvic abscess drainage using a vaginal probe, where an appropriate training model does not exist.

Objective: To develop and evaluate an economical, user-friendly phantom for simulating pelvic abscess drainage.

Methods: The phantom was constructed using readily available materials, including ballistic gel and a simulant for purulent material. The phantom was designed to simulate pelvic abscess drainage through a vaginal probe. Ten independent investigators and 2 authors evaluated the phantom's realism and utility using a visual analog scale (VAS), ranging from "not realistic and useful" (0) to "very realistic and useful" (10) for anatomical fidelity, material suitability, and ease of performing the examination. Three evaluators with previous experience in abscess drainage compared the phantom to real-life scenarios using the same VAS scale. The median time required for each health care professional to perform the procedure was also measured.

Results: The phantom was constructed at a cost of approximately US$ 30.00. Evaluators scored the phantom highly for realism and utility, with mean VAS values of 8.75, 9, and 9.2 for anatomical fidelity, material properties, and ease of performing the examination, respectively. Three senior radiologists, each with extensive experience in real-life abscess drainage procedures, compared the phantom to their clinical experiences. They rated the phantom as highly realistic, assigning it a mean VAS score of 9.8. The median time to perform the procedure was 1 minute and 51 seconds.

Conclusion: The developed phantom effectively simulates pelvic abscess drainage, providing a realistic and practical training tool. This phantom fills a significant gap in current medical simulation resources, offering a cost-effective solution for training health care professionals in essential ultrasound-guided procedures.