The Role of YouTube-Based Education in Teaching Diagnostic Peritoneal Lavage
Objective: Evaluate the educational value and content quality of YouTube videos on Diagnostic Peritoneal Lavage (DPL) and their role in emergency medicine and trauma surgery training.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study systematically searched YouTube using predefined keywords related to DPL. Inclusion criteria were English-language videos with educational intent that visually and/or audibly explained the DPL procedure. Exclusions were advertisements, duplicates, animation-only content, patient-experience videos, and very short videos lacking procedural explanation.
Results: The API-based search identified 364 eligible videos. Median views were 395 (IQR 2090). Annual outputs peaked in 2023 and 2025, with 42 videos (2020), 68 (2021), 45 (2022), 71 (2023), 67 (2025), and 24 (2026). Interaction Index did not differ by year (Kruskal–Wallis H=4.591, p=0.597). Viewing rate differed across years (H=13.55, p=0.035); post hoc analyses showed 2021 lower than 2023, 2025, and 2026, but higher than 2024, while 2020 exceeded 2024. Quality assessments revealed heterogeneity: high-quality videos predominantly originated from academic or professional sources and demonstrated clearer visuals, adherence to sterile technique, and alignment with current guidelines; lower-quality videos, often from individuals, showed omissions, outdated techniques, or inconsistent standards.
Conclusions: YouTube provides accessible, effective supplementary material for DPL education, but content quality varies substantially. Educators and trainees should favor academically produced videos and pair video-based learning with supervised instruction and simulation to ensure safe, guideline-concordant practice.
Keywords: Diagnostic Peritoneal Lavage (DPL) , Abdominal trauma , Emergency surgery education , Trauma training ,Video-based learning
