Design and Implementation of a Low-Cost Priapism Reduction Task Trainer

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Urology
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Priapism is a urologic emergency requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment by emergency physicians to prevent permanent damage.
• Current training options for priapism reduction are limited, especially low-cost, easily reproducible simulation models.
• Simulation offers a safe environment for practicing invasive procedures like priapism management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an inexpensive, reusable task trainer for priapism reduction.
• To enhance emergency medicine residents' skills in diagnosing and treating priapism.
• To provide hands-on practice for penile ring blocks, cavernosal aspiration, and injection.

Main Methods:

• A low-cost, partial task trainer was created using common materials.
• Emergency medicine residents (PGY 1-4) participated in a didactic session followed by hands-on practice with the trainer.
• Post-session surveys assessed the educational value and impact on participant confidence.

Main Results:

• The trainer successfully facilitated practice of local anesthesia, medication injection, and cavernosal aspiration.
• Participant comfort managing priapism increased from 1.76 to 3.76 (on a 5-point scale) post-session.
• The model was rated highly useful (4.64/5) for teaching priapism reduction techniques.

Conclusions:

• An inexpensive and effective priapism reduction task trainer was developed.
• The simulation model significantly increased resident confidence and competence in managing priapism.
• This trainer addresses a gap in practical skills training for a critical urologic emergency.