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Junior doctor training in pleural procedures: a quality survey
V. Aiyappan,
1
A. Munawar
2
and F. Thien
3
1
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia and
2
Eastern Health and
3
Box Hill Hospital and Monash
University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Key words
training, pleural effusion, teaching,
complication, knowledge.
Correspondence
Vinod Aiyappan, Department of Respiratory
Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Flinders
Drive, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
Email: aiyapps@yahoo.com
Received 28 December 2011; accepted 24 May
2012.
doi:10.1111/imj.12019
Abstract
Pleural effusion is a common medical condition encountered by doctors. This study was
conducted to ascertain the level of junior doctor (physician-in-training) training, knowl-
edge and supervision in the management of pleural effusion. The information was
collected with the help of a proforma, from 49 junior medical doctors working in a
metropolitan health service. All the doctors who participated in the survey had come
across pleural effusion in their practice, but only 67% of doctors had any experience
with the procedure of diagnostic thoracentesis. Sixty-seven percent of doctors conveyed
that they will refer the majority of cases (75–100%) for radiological-guided thoracen-
tesis. The main reasons for referral for radiologically guided procedure were lack of
experience (65%), fear of complications (61%), lack of supervision and guidance
(49%), and lack of time (38%). A significant proportion of doctors interviewed (47%)
was unaware of the major indications for intercostal tube drainage of parapneumonic
effusions. This survey highlights deficiencies in junior doctor knowledge and procedural
skills. Junior doctor training should be tailored to increase the ‘hands-on’ training time
and increased patient contact. Senior clinicians should be given sufficient ‘protected
time’ for teaching and training.
Brief Communication
© 2013 The Authors
Internal Medicine Journal © 2013 Royal Australasian College of Physicians 96