Using ultrasound to assess stomach contents in children before surgery

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Self-instructional Ultrasound Training Program at Teaching Aspiration Risk Assessment Through Gastric Ultrasound

Not applicable Interventional Stanford University · NCT03520374

This study tests if medical students and new anesthesiologists can accurately check stomach contents in children before surgery using ultrasound after a short training.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment60 (estimated)
Ages2 Years to 60 Years
SexAll
SponsorStanford University Academic / other
Locations1 site (Stanford, California)
Trial IDNCT03520374 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study aims to evaluate whether novice ultrasound users, such as medical students and inexperienced anesthesiologists, can accurately assess gastric contents using a validated ultrasound technique. The study is divided into two parts: the first part involves training novices on healthy adult volunteers, while the second part focuses on pediatric patients undergoing surgery. Participants will be taught through a 15-minute training video and will perform assessments on a set number of subjects, with their evaluations being recorded for later expert review.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include pediatric patients aged 2-60 years undergoing elective surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia.

Not a fit: Patients undergoing emergency surgical procedures or those with a BMI greater than 24 may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could enhance the safety of pediatric anesthesia by improving the assessment of aspiration risk.

How similar studies have performed: While the use of ultrasound for gastric content assessment is established, this specific approach involving novice users is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

Patients must:

1. be between ages of 2-60 years of age
2. have parental consent for children 2-17 years of age, or if the participant is 18 years or older, the participant must sign the ICF for them self as an adult
3. undergoing interventional radiology procedures under general anesthesia or located at an inpatient/outpatient facility at LPCH if they are a pediatric patient
4. must be over 18 years of age if a healthy volunteer

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients undergoing emergent surgical procedures
2. BMI greater than 24

Where this trial is running

Stanford, California

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Gastric Contentsultrasoundgastric contents
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.