1. Comparison of Live Tissue vs. Mannequin Cricothyroidotomy
Jason Bothwell, MD; Ryan Walsh, MD; Matt Nilan, MD
Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
Background
Cricothyroidotomy is an essential skill
Animal training under scrutiny
There are alternatives, unclear which is better
Objectives
To compare the training effectiveness of a live tissue (porcine) cricothyroidotomy model with a mannequin model based on EM residents’ perception of the models and confidence after the training sessions.
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, DOD, or the U.S. Government

2. Comparison of Live Tissue vs. Mannequin Cricothyroidotomy Methods
Jason Bothwell, MD; Ryan Walsh, MD; Matt Nilan, MD
Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
Methods
Single cohort crossover design
19 residents, randomized to start with either live tissue first or to mannequin (Sim Man)
Baseline data:
Number of previous crics
Baseline confidence (10-pt scale)
After each iteration, trainees rated:
Post-training confidence (10-pt scale)
Finally, residents stated their preferred model
Unpaired T-test to compare pre-to-post training confidence and preferred model

3. Comparison of Live Tissue vs. Mannequin Cricothyroidotomy
Jason Bothwell, MD; Ryan Walsh, MD; Matt Nilan, MD
Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
Results
Mean confidence pre-training : 5.21
Mean confidence post-training Live Tissue: (t=3.69; p=0.002)
Mean confidence post-training Mannequin: (t=3.15; p=0.033)
No statistically significant difference between training methods (t=0.15; p=0.88)
89.5% of participants preferred live tissue training
Conclusions
EM residents overwhelmingly prefer live tissue training however there is no significant difference in confidence of learners when comparing the live tissue to mannequin trainers