The 50 ml syringe training aid should be utilized immediately before cricoid pressure application

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Medical Education

Background:

• Cricoid pressure is crucial during rapid sequence induction but requires trained staff.
• Current training intervals are often impractical, and performance is frequently suboptimal.
• Existing training aids are often expensive or inaccessible, and prior studies had learning bias.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if a 50 ml syringe as a training aid improves staff performance in applying cricoid pressure.
• To assess simulated rapid sequence induction on a cricoid pressure simulator after brief syringe training.

Main Methods:

• 64 volunteers were randomized into a control group and a training group.
• The training group received pre-training with a 50 ml syringe to defined criteria.
• Both groups were subsequently assessed on a cricoid pressure simulator.

Main Results:

• Satisfactory force application increased from 19% in the control group to 47% in the syringe-trained group (P=0.03).
• Both groups tended to apply excessive force, indicating room for further refinement.

Conclusions:

• Brief training using a 50 ml syringe enhances the likelihood of applying satisfactory cricoid pressure.
• This simple training method can improve the effectiveness and reliability of cricoid pressure, potentially increasing patient safety.
• Utilizing a 50 ml syringe for pre-clinical training is recommended before applying cricoid pressure.