Validation of a novel resin-porcine thorax model for chest drain insertion training

Chest drain insertion in inexperienced hands carries a significant morbidity and mortality. The royal colleges, recognising this, stipulated that chest drain insertion be included as one of the core competences for all core medical trainees. However, there is no formal training in chest drain insertion included in training programmes. Simulation training should, in theory, provide a safe and objective method to overcome the obstacles in chest drain insertion training. There have been a number of attempts to find the ideal simulator for chest drain insertion with varying success. This article describes a model which is practical and affordable in all clinical skills labs, using porcine ribs mounted on a resin cast of a human thorax, and the data about the validation of the porcine-thorax model for chest drain insertion presented.