Improving the performance time and accuracy of ultrasound-guided interventions: A randomized controlled double-blind trial of the line-of-sight approach and the “APPLES” mnemonic

Objectives—To determine whether the line-of-sight approach improved the performance time and accuracy of ultrasound (US)-guided needle placement targeting the subdeltoid bursa in a cadaver among novice operators compared to the side approach. A secondary objective was to determine whether participants thought the APPLES (angle, position, perpendicular, line up, entry, sweep) mnemonic was a helpful guide for performing the procedure. Methods—Medical students and residents were randomized into either a line-of-sight or side approach group and then crossed over to the other group. The procedure time was determined by 2 blinded reviewers. A survey was administered to determine which method participants preferred and whether they thought the APPLES mnemonic was helpful. A paired t test was used to compare the performance time, and the McNemar test was used to compare the accuracy of the methods. Results—Among the 110 participants, the performance time with the line-of-sight approach (mean, 14.4 seconds; SD, 9.95 seconds) was significantly decreased compared to the side approach (mean, 18.6 seconds; SD, 10.1 seconds; P =.00029). Additionally, participants who only hit the target using one method were more likely to hit the target in 30 seconds using the line-of-sight approach (P =.035). In total, 72.7% of participants preferred the line-of-sight approach over the side approach, and 88.2% of participants thought that APPLES mnemonic was useful. Conclusions—This study highlights the finding that positioning of the operator is important in performing US-guided interventions, and the line-of-sight approach may improve the performance time and accuracy among novice operators. Furthermore, the APPLES mnemonic serves as a useful educational tool for teaching US-guided interventional procedures.