Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

Metallic corneal foreign bodies (MCFBs) are one of the most common causes of ocular injury presenting to the emergency department. Delays in removal, or forceful attempts to remove the MCFB can lead to infection, further injury to the eye, and worsening of vision. In order to prevent these underlying complications, it is imperative for the medical provider to properly master this technique. As current trends in simulation become more focused on patient safety, task-trainers can provide an invaluable learning experience for residents, medical students and physicians. Models made from bovine eyes, agar plates, gelatin, and corneas created from glass and paraffin wax have been previously been created. One study also used a rubber glove filled with water to simulate intraocular measurement with a Tonopen. However the use of corneas created from ballistics gel for MCFB removal and intraocular pressure measurement has not been studied. We propose a realistic, sustainable, cost-effective MCFB task-trainer to introduce the fundamental skills required for MCFB removal and measurement of intraocular pressure with a Tonopen.  A pilot survey study performed on medical students and emergency medicine resident physicians showed an increase in comfort levels performing both MCFB removal and measurement of intraocular pressure with a Tonopen after using this task-trainer.