A 1-year pilot program was developed in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) using a training course and clinical mentoring format, Later, we expanded to 3 large urban referral trauma centers in DRC and Ethiopia. The locations had orthopedic or emergency medicine educational programs and represented a diverse spectrum of resource limits as well as a disparate scale of sophistication of personnel and infrastructure.
Through grants, we provided ultrasound machines to trainees in exchange for their commitment to protocols and procedures. USRA single-use kits were constructed to be inexpensive and practical with needed equipment for safe, sterile USRA technique. Faculty with specialty training provided 3 additional weeks of clinical mentoring, requiring trainees to pass a practical exam before conducting unsupervised USRA. All patients were monitored while in-hospital for delayed complications.
Over 5 years, InnovationsCZ has trained 102 providers in Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, yielding 1,853 procedures. Participating doctors and patients reported dramatic decreases in injury-related pain. The cost for consumable supplies was negligible at estimated cost-per-procedure of less than $1.
A 5-year follow-up showed USRA adopted into routine patient care.