Teaching lifesaving procedures: the impact of model fidelity on acquisition and transfer of cricothyrotomy skills to performance on cadavers.

摘要

Using high- and low-fidelity simulators, Friedman et al.^1 describe teaching cricothyrotomy using the Seldinger technique of the Melker set (Cook, Bloomington, IN). The authors demonstrate, as do others,2 that this method is slow (pretest 240 s and 260 s in the low- and high-fidelity training groups, respectively, post-test 140 s and 120 s).^1 The new Melker kit, with preloaded dilator, may improve performance, but we believe that trainees should also be taught surgical cricothyrotomy, which with instruction can be achievable in as little as 30 s.^3