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Cricothyroidotomy bottom-up training review: battlefield lessons learned
Brad L Bennett1, Barbara Cailteux-Zevallos, Joseph Kotora
1Clinical Investigation Research Division, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, 620 John Paul Jones Circle, Portsmouth, VA 23708, USA.
Military Medicine
|December 15, 2011
Summary
Improving battlefield surgical cricothyroidotomy training is crucial. Enhancements focus on anatomy review, hands-on practice, standardized procedures, better mannequins, and refresher courses to reduce errors.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Surgical Training
- Tactical Medicine
Background:
- Surgical cricothyroidotomy on the battlefield presents challenges due to infrequent use and unfamiliarity with anatomical landmarks.
- These difficulties are amplified in the tactical environment, increasing the risk of procedural errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify methods for improving surgical cricothyroidotomy training.
- The goal is to minimize preventable procedural errors in tactical combat casualty care.
Main Methods:
- A review of the existing cricothyroidotomy training within a 4-day Tactical Combat Casualty Care course was conducted.
- An ad hoc Working Group identified specific gaps in the current training program.
Main Results:
- Five key training gap areas were identified: limited anatomy review, lack of hands-on human laryngeal anatomy, nonstandardized surgical incision procedures, inadequate cricothyroid mannequins, and infrequent refresher training.
- Specific recommendations for training enhancements were developed for classroom, simulation, and field settings.
Conclusions:
- Addressing identified gaps through targeted enhancements can improve surgical cricothyroidotomy proficiency.
- Improved training is essential for reducing errors and enhancing outcomes in battlefield airway management.
