Evaluation of a porcine tissue-based simulator for teaching ultrasound-guided PICC placement.

Authors

Lei Deng, Jiao He, Li Gao, Qin Guo, Ling Guo

Published in

The journal of vascular access. Pages 11297298261488204. Oct 09, 2026. Epub Oct 09, 2026.

Abstract

Ultrasound-guided peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement requires stable probe handling and continuous needle-tip tracking, yet novice nurses have limited opportunities for repeated clinical practice.
This study aimed to evaluate the association between porcine tissue-based simulation training and early ultrasound-guided PICC placement performance among trainees.
This quasi-experimental study enrolled 216 infusion-therapy nurse trainees in Sichuan, China (2018-2021). Trainees were assigned by training period to a porcine tissue simulator group (n = 115) or a traditional arm-model group (n = 101). In each trainee's first clinical PICC after training, two preceptors assessed probe handling (vein identification within 10 s; maintenance of vessel centering), puncture behaviors (needle advancement aligned with the vertical centerline of the target vein on the ultrasound short-axis view; intraluminal needle-tip centering; continuous needle-tip visualization), and procedural familiarity scores.
Vein identification within 10 s was similar between groups (93.0% vs 90.1%, p = 0.435). Compared with the arm-model group, the simulator group more often maintained vessel centering (90.4% vs 70.3%, p < 0.001), advanced the needle in alignment with the target vein (91.3% vs 69.3%, p < 0.001), achieved intraluminal needle-tip centering (87.0% vs 60.4%, p < 0.001), and maintained continuous needle-tip visualization (74.8% vs 50.5%, p < 0.001). Procedural familiarity scores were higher in the simulator group (94.3 ± 1.6 vs 93.4 ± 1.6, p < 0.001).
A porcine tissue-based ultrasound-capable simulator may be a feasible and accessible tool for early ultrasound-guided PICC training and was associated with better early performance in selected probe-handling and puncture behaviors during the first clinical case after training. These findings should be interpreted in light of the nonrandomized, time-based cohort design and require further validation.

PMID:
42852665
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 09 Oct 2026.

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