The application of quality control in pulmonary ultrasound practice for residents

Objective To explore the effect of quality control in the practice of lung ultrasound in residents. Methods A quality control system of lung ultrasound was established by developing a standardized scanning protocol, theoretical and operational training, and quality scores to evaluate the practical effects of 14 residents who participated in lung ultrasound examinations of hospitalized patients during the COVID-19 pandemic from December 2022 to January 2023. Results The average scores of according years of training for residents participating in lung ultrasonography gradually increased. Compared with the overall mean (7.73 ± 1.36 points), there was no statistically significant difference in the scores of first and second-year residents (7.41±1.58 points, 7.54±1.12 points, P > 0.05), and there was a statistically significant difference in the scores of third-year resident or above (8.79 ± 1.01 points, P < 0.05). First and second-year residents had problems such as too deep image depth, lack of body markers, and lack of some lung subdivisions. Conclusion The establishment of a lung ultrasound quality control system makes residents master lung ultrasound and join the clinical practice, especially in ensuring the quality of ultrasound examination for junior residents.