Abdominal ultrasound augments the medical students’ ability to identify free intraabdominal fluid

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Free intra-abdominal fluid describes an accumulation of free fluid in the peritoneal cavity. It has different etiologies, but it frequently constitutes a meaningful clinical sign. In this study, the authors interrogate whether abdominal ultrasound augments the medical students’ ability to identify free intra-abdominal fluid. METHODS: Thirty-one medical students without any previous formal ultrasound training were subjected to cognitive assessment before and after four and a half-hour of theoretical lecture and hands-on course about the diagnosis of free intra-abdominal f...