Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #59

Abstract Gastric point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is a resource that can be utilized perioperatively at the bedside to assess the patient's residual gastric volume to assist with guiding the anesthetic plan. With comorbidities such as diabetes and gastroparesis, as well as the increasing demand for GLP-1 agonists, POCUS is an invaluable tool for the anesthesia provider to assess for liquid and solid gastric content preoperatively. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate there is a lack of provider knowledge in how to adequately perform and interpret results of a gastric POCUS exam. The following PICO question was used to search various databases and guide the practice improvement project: Do anesthesia providers (P) who receive a structured educational program in POCUS (I) show increased knowledge in gastric content scanning preoperatively (O)? A critical appraisal of four studies showed that the utilization of gastric POCUS is a safe and effective bedside resource with very minimal complications. This paper explains the advantages and methods of gastric ultrasound that can be incorporated into deciding the safest anesthetic plan. Data was collected via a pre and post-educational intervention exam. The project team found a significant increase in provider knowledge after POCUS education was conducted.