Prospective study of manikin-only versus manikin and human subject endotracheal intubation training of paramedics

Study objectives:

To determine the effect of manikin-only training on field success of endotracheal intubation by paramedics.

Design:

Prospective evaluation of individual field endotracheal intubation success rates for paramedics after they participated in a manikin-only or a manikin-plus-cadaver training program.

Types of participants:

Paramedics responding to emergency calls involving adult medical or trauma victims.

Interventions:

All participants were trained using a controlled manikin training program; then, half were randomly selected for additional instruction using fresh human cadavers.

Measurements and main results:

Individuals trained using only the manikin program had mean ± SD individual success rates of 82 ± 32%, and individuals who received additional cadaver training had mean individual success rates of 83 ± 31%. Overall success rates for the two groups were 86% for the manikin-only group and 85% for the manikin-plus-cadaver-trained group. The sample size was not adequate to allow rejection of the null hypothesis.

Conclusion:

Paramedics trained in endotracheal intubation using a systematic manikin-only teaching program can attain acceptable individual success rates in the actual field setting.

endotracheal intubation, paramedics, endotracheal intubation

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