[Orotracheal intubation training: assessment with the cumulative sum method]

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anesthesiology
• Airway Management

Context:

• Orotracheal intubation is a fundamental skill for new medical residents.
• Assessing technical proficiency is crucial for patient safety.
• Traditional assessment methods may lack objective, real-time feedback.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the utility of the cumulative sum (cusum) method in assessing the learning curve of first-year residents performing orotracheal intubation.
• To establish objective performance benchmarks for orotracheal intubation competency.

Summary:

• Eight residents underwent training with the cusum method, with initial and subsequent target failure rates of 10% and 5%, respectively.
• Residents achieved the 10% failure rate within 3 months (mean 41.3 intubations) and the 5% rate within 11 months (mean 67.3 intubations).
• The cusum method provided quantitative and qualitative feedback, facilitating objective performance evaluation during the learning process.

Impact:

• The cusum method serves as a valuable tool for resident training in orotracheal intubation.
• It offers objective data to guide and certify technical competence.
• Facilitates timely identification of learning plateaus and mastery of airway skills.