Current Management of Copperhead Snakebites in Missouri.

The past two decades have seen changes to the management of copperhead snakebites. We review the current use of antivenom, analgesics, and laboratory testing as well as the declining role of surgical management.

A Randomized Double-Blinded Trial on the Effects of Ultrasound Transducer Orientation on Teaching and Learning Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia.

Objectives: Learning ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia skills, especially needle/ beam alignment, can be especially difficulty for trainees, who can often become frustrated. We hypothesized that teaching novices to orient the transducer and needle perpendicular to their shoulders will improve performance on a standardized task, compared to holding the transducer and needle parallel to the shoulders.

Methods: This study compared the effects of transducer orientation on trainees' ability to complete a standardized ultrasound-guided nerve block simulation.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the See, Tilt, Align, and Rotate (STAR) Maneuver on Skill Acquisition for Simulated Ultrasound-Guided Interventional Procedures.

Objectives: Achieving the best view of the needle and target anatomy when performing ultrasound-guided interventional procedures requires technical skill, which novices may find difficult to learn. We hypothesized that teaching novice performers to use 4 sequential steps (see, tilt, align, and rotate [STAR] method) to identify the needle under ultrasound guidance is more efficient than training with the commonly described probe movements of align, rotate, and tilt (ART).

Methods: This study compared 2 instructional methods for transducer manipulation including alignment of a probe and needle by novices during a simulated ultrasound-guided nerve block.