Comparison of the bleeding cricothyrotomy model to SimMan for training students and residents emergency cricothyrotomy

Introduction: A cricothyroidotomy is an emergency procedurethat few emergency medicine residents see or perform duringtheir training. Therefore, there is a need for low cost, high fidelitymodels for training. In this study, we explore a new training modelfor cricothyroidotomies (the bleeding CRIC [cost-effective realisticinteractive cricothyroidotomy]) to determine if this new tasktraineris non-inferior compared to the current standard of training.Methods: Authors conducted a randomized control noninferioritystudy. There were seventeen residents and medicalstudents enrolled by convenience sample to partake in the study.The participants were randomized by block randomization to betaught how to perform a cricothyroidotomy on either the newtask trainer or the current standard task trainer and then wereasked to perform the procedure on a pig trachea model. Primaryoutcome measures were scores on a previously validated objectiveassessment tool and secondary outcomes were comfort levels andrealism scores based on pre and post survey results which wereanalyzed with ANOVA. Results: There was found to be no statistically significant differencebetween the groups in assessment scores, time to completion, orcomfort levels pre- and post-intervention. There was a statisticallysignificant difference in that the participants gave higher realismscores in post-test analysis to the Bleeding CRIC compared to theSimMan. Both groups demonstrated that they had significantlyimproved comfort levels from baseline post-intervention.Conclusion: Overall, the new task trainer was rated by learnersto feel more realistic than the current standard. This studydemonstrates non-inferiority of the new task trainer and furtherstudies with larger sample sizes should be conducted to determineits true efficacy.