Innovative Curriculum to Train Medical Students on Lateral Canthotomy and Cantholysis.
Haana McMurray1, Jason R Lewis1,2, Wesley L Brundridge3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Military Medicine
|November 10, 2023
Summary
A new curriculum effectively trains medical students in lateral canthotomy and cantholysis (LCC) for orbital compartment syndrome (OCS). Most students achieved expert performance, demonstrating the curriculum
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Medical Education
Background:
- Orbital compartment syndrome (OCS) is a critical condition requiring immediate surgical intervention.
- Lateral canthotomy and cantholysis (LCC) is the standard emergency procedure for OCS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of a novel, standardized curriculum for training medical students in LCC.
- To evaluate the ability of novice learners to identify and perform LCC for OCS.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 39 first-year medical students with no prior LCC experience.
- Implementation of a standardized curriculum combining didactic instruction and hands-on procedural training.
- Assessment of knowledge via pre- and post-testing and procedural proficiency against expert criteria on a simulation model.
Main Results:
- All participants correctly identified OCS; 77% achieved expert-level LCC performance on the first attempt.
- A significant improvement in knowledge scores was observed (48.7% to 71.2%, P < .001).
- Median practice iterations to achieve proficiency was 3.0, with a median procedural time of 130 seconds for successful first attempts.
Conclusions:
- A standardized, mastery-learning-based curriculum effectively trains novice medical students in LCC for OCS.
- The curriculum enables efficient and proficient performance of this sight-saving procedure.
