Discriminative Ability of Dye Injected Into a Meat Model to Determine Accuracy of Ultrasound-Guided Injection

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Anesthesiology
• Medical Education

Background:

• Meat models are valuable for ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia simulation training.
• Effective feedback is crucial for simulation-based medical education.
• Simulation provides opportunities for learner evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of dye injection in meat models for identifying correct perineural (PN) space placement.
• To establish dye injection as a tool for learner feedback in regional anesthesia simulation.
• To assess the reliability of dye staining for evaluating injection accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Dye was injected into meat models with beef tendons (simulating nerves) at three locations: perineural (PN), intraneural, and intramuscular.
• Blinded assessors evaluated dye staining, injection location accuracy, ease of interpretation, and presence of staining on the tendon.
• Thirty models were assessed to determine the discriminative ability of the dye injection technique.

Main Results:

• Assessors found identifying injection locations easy or very easy in 72% of models.
• Perineural (PN), intraneural, and intramuscular injections were identified with 100%, 95%, and 85% accuracy, respectively.
• High assessor agreement (87%) was achieved, indicating reliable interpretation of dye staining.

Conclusions:

• Dye injection into meat models reliably indicates correct needle placement for peripheral nerve blockade simulation.
• This technique offers a novel and effective method for providing feedback to trainees.
• The dye injection method can be used to assess block success in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia training.