Ballooning to Success: A Novel and Reproducible Sengstaken-Blakemore Model for Educating Emergency Medicine Trainees

Balloon tamponade placement for variceal hemorrhage is a critical but rarely performed emergency procedure. Current hands-on low-fidelity simulation task trainers are limited, leaving a gap in high-quality training. We developed an anatomically accurate, cost-effective task trainer constructed from commonly available Emergency Department items to teach balloon tamponade device insertion for controlling variceal bleeding. This descriptive report of a low-fidelity simulation model uses 5-inch pieces of flexible silicone tubing to simulate the esophagus, connected to a 1-liter bottle as the stomach, with a 14-gauge angiocatheter inserted into the tubing to mimic variceal bleeding. The model was designed for integration with upper airway models for realistic simulation. This reproducible, cost-effective platform ($2.25 per model) provides hands-on training in balloon tamponade placement, with transparent design allowing clear visualization of device placement and balloon inflation, while modular construction enables integration with the existing simulation equipment. This innovative task trainer addresses the limited exposure to balloon tamponade procedures in emergency medicine training, providing an accessible and practical solution for skill development in managing variceal bleeding.