Development of a Lumbar Drain Simulator for Instructional Technique and Skill Assessment.

Medical simulation for the teaching of procedural skills to health-care providers is an effective method of instruction to improve safety, quality, and procedural efficiency. There are several commercially available simulators for lumbar puncture training; however, there is currently no model available for lumbar drain intrathecal catheter placement.A modular lumbar drain simulator was assembled with the use of a spine model, ballstical gel, and Penrose drain tubing to recreate the procedural steps and tactile feedback of a live lumbar drain insertion.The assembled simulator demonstrated the ability to provide users with manual feeback of a "pop" sensation when intrathecal puncture was achieved with a 14 gauge Touhy needle, as well as spontaneous CSF flow. A silastic catheter was able to be inserted into the simulated subarachnoid space in the same manner as a live procedure.A high-fidelity lumbar drain simulator can be constructed in a cost-effective manner. We have detailed the materials and assembly of our successful design in order to provide a novel educational tool for procedural instruction and practice.