The Feasibility of Daily Mannequin Practice to Improve Intubation Success
Abstract
Introduction
Opportunities to practice live intubations are limited, so other methods of skill development must be researched. Some experts claim that exceptional performance simply reflects extended periods of intense training. This study evaluates whether daily intubation practice using standard airway mannequins increases the success rate of providers when intubating actual patients.
Methods
Study participants were members of a ground critical care transport team. Investigators performed a review of previous trips, compiling the number of attempts at intubation and success rates. During the intervention period, participants were asked to perform repeated daily intubations of airway mannequins. Intubation success rates and compliance with study protocols were recorded.
Results
The rate of successful intubation of the mannequins was constant, with a linear regression slope of 0.00016 (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.0039, 0.0042). A generalized estimation equations logistic regression comparing success rates between the pre-intervention and the intervention periods showed no statistical difference (P = .63, z = 0.48), with an odds ratio of 1.37 (95% CI: 0.38, 4.92). However, compliance with the study declined significantly over the intervention period, as indicated by a linear regression slope of 0.0239 (95% CI: −.0354, −0.0124).
Conclusions
Daily practice with standard airway mannequins by a critical care transport team did not improve intubation success on actual patients.
University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cleveland, OH
Address for correspondence: Jeffrey Lubin, MD, MPH, Case Western Reserve University, Department of Emergency Medicine, 11100 Euclid Ave, Bolwell 3700, Cleveland, OH 44106
Presented as an abstract at the National Association of EMS Physicians Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, January 2008, and at Emergency Cardiac Care Update, Las Vegas, NV, June 2008
This study was funded by an EMS Education Research Grant from the American Heart Association and the National Emergency Medical Services Academy.
ABSTRACT