The Eyes Have It: A Low-Cost Model for Corneal Foreign Body Removal Training

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Ophthalmology Simulation

Background:

• Eye complaints are frequent in emergency departments, with corneal foreign bodies (CFBs) representing a significant portion.
• Many emergency medicine providers lack comfort and experience in performing CFB removal.
• Existing simulation models can be costly or lack realism, hindering effective training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a low-cost, low-fidelity simulator for training corneal foreign body removal.
• To assess the simulator's effectiveness in improving emergency medicine resident and medical student comfort with CFB removal and slit lamp usage.

Main Methods:

• A low-cost ($15) corneal foreign body simulator was constructed using readily available materials: Styrofoam ball, grapes, toothpicks, novelty glasses, and magnesium shavings.
• Participants received instruction on CFB removal techniques using a needle bevel under slit lamp guidance.
• Learners practiced the procedure on the simulator under instructor supervision.

Main Results:

• Post-training, 84.2% of participants reported comfort in removing corneal foreign bodies, a significant increase from pre-training levels (p<0.001).
• Comfort with slit lamp usage significantly improved, with 89.5% reporting comfort after training compared to 52.6% before (p=0.029).
• Few participants had prior experience observing or performing CFB removal before the training.

Conclusions:

• The developed low-cost corneal foreign body simulator is an effective tool for enhancing provider confidence and skills in CFB removal.
• Simulation using this model improves both procedural comfort and proficiency with slit lamp examination in emergency medicine trainees.