{
  "abstract": "Background and Aims Regional anesthesia (RA) is a key component of modern anesthesia practice, offering advantages such as reduced postoperative complications and opioid consumption (1). Ultrasound (US) guidance significantly improves the safety and accuracy of RA procedures (2). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation-based RA training using various models, focusing on participants’ ability to implement these techniques in clinical practice.Methods Between 2018 and 2024, over 300 anesthesiologists participated in a series of courses on ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. The training includes lectures followed by hands-on low-fidelity simulation sessions with three types of simulation models: specialized commercial simulators, custom-made ballistic gel models, and animal tissue models. A survey was conducted to assess the perceived efficacy of each model and the impact of the course on clinical practice.Results According to the survey, 85% of participants successfully incorporated ultrasound-guided RA into their daily practice, and 70% expanded the RA techniques use to other anatomical areas after the course. Additionally, 60% of participants started teaching RA techniques to their colleagues, further increasing the reach of the training. Participants also reported a 50% reduction in the time required to perform nerve blocks and a 40% reduction in complications during RA procedures. Both ballistic gel and agar-agar models demonstrated similar effectiveness, with 90% of participants rating them as highly effective. However, the agar-agar model was significantly more cost-efficient, making it a practical alternative for broader adoption in educational settings.Conclusions This study highlights the importance of simulation-based learning in improving the skills required for safe and effective RA. Low-cost models, such as the agar-agar phantom, provides an affordable yet effective alternative to more expensive commercial simulators. Furthermore, the courses significantly impacted participants’ clinical practice, with a large percentage reporting the adoption and expansion of RA techniques in their hospitals.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Postgraduate Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine"
      ],
      "name": "Kateryna Bielka"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Postgraduate Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine"
      ],
      "name": "Dmytro Sazhyn"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Postgraduate Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine"
      ],
      "name": "Iurii Kuchyn"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Postgraduate Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine"
      ],
      "name": "Natalia Semenko"
    }
  ],
  "title": "EP025 Teaching ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia in low-resource setting: a study of simulation technique and learning outcomes",
  "uid": "0de2397e-eb4b-5112-b370-9b4d4188009b"
}