Dissertation
Gastric point-of-care ultrasound and anesthesia: further stratification of pulmonary aspiration risk
Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.), Drexel University
14 Mar 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011288
Abstract
Pulmonary aspiration (PA) of gastric contents remains a serious cause of anesthesia-related morbidity and mortality despite adherence to fasting guidelines. Patients with obesity, diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), trauma, and those taking glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are at increased risk due to delayed and unpredictable gastric emptying. Gastric point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a reliable, noninvasive method for assessing gastric contents but is underutilized in perioperative practice. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate whether combined didactic and hands-on training increases anesthesia providers' confidence and likelihood of using gastric POCUS to stratify PA risk. This project was implemented using a Plan-Do-Study-Act framework at a Level I trauma center. Anesthesiologists, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) completed pre- and post-intervention Likert-scale surveys before and after standardized education and hands-on training. Matched survey data from 34 participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results demonstrated a significant increase in the providers' likelihood of incorporating gastric POCUS into clinical practice. Provider confidence, familiarity, frequency of use, and perceived relevance of gastric POCUS significantly improved, while perceived barriers to use decreased. These findings support the integration of gastric POCUS education into routine anesthesia training to improve perioperative risk stratification and patient safety.
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Details
- Title
- Gastric point-of-care ultrasound and anesthesia
- Creators
- Olivia KyleSara Powell
- Contributors
- Dawn M. Specht (DNP Chair) - Drexel University, Nurse Practitioner Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- 69 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Nurse Anesthesia; Nursing (Graduate); College of Nursing and Health Professions; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022168356004721