title: Use of cadaver models in point-of-care emergency ultrasound education for diagnostic applications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As the use of bedside emergency ultrasound (US) increases, so does the need for effective US education.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine 1) what pathology can be reliably simulated and identified by US in human cadavers, and 2) feasibility of using cadavers to improve the comfort of emergency medicine (EM) residents with specific US applications.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive, cross-sectional survey study assessed utility of cadaver simulation to train EM residents in diagnostic US. First, the following pathologies were simulated in a cadaver: orbital foreign body (FB), retrobulbar (RB) hematoma, bone fracture, joint effusion, and pleural effusion. Second, we assessed residents' change in comfort level with US after using this cadaver model. Residents were surveyed regarding their comfort level with various US applications. After brief didactic sessions on the study's US applications, participants attempted to identify the simulated pathology using US. A post-lab survey assessed for change in comfort level after the training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Orbital FB, RB hematoma, bone fracture, joint effusion, and pleural effusion were readily modeled in a cadaver in ways typical of a live patient. Twenty-two residents completed the pre- and post-lab surveys. After training with cadavers, residents' comfort improved significantly for orbital FB and RB hematoma (mean increase 1.6, p<0.001), bone fracture (mean increase 2.12, p<0.001), and joint effusion (1.6, p<0.001); 100% of residents reported that they found US education using cadavers helpful.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cadavers can simulate orbital FB, RB hematoma, bone fracture, joint effusion, and pleural effusion, and in our center improved the comfort of residents in identifying all but pleural effusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California, USA.
authors.forename: Brita E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Zaia
authors.forename: Beau
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Briese
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Laleh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gharahbaghian
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002102:Cadaver; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006406:Hematoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D007596:Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017145:Models, Educational; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D019315:Retrobulbar Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications; D014463:Ultrasonography