Unanticipated difficult airway management in anaesthetised patients: a prospective study of the effect of mannequin training on management strategies and skill retention

Summary This prospective study on a medium‐fidelity simulator (SimMan®, Laerdal Medical Corporation, Wappingers Falls, NY, USA) examined the management of unanticipated difficult airway by 21 anaesthetists and the effect of training in this context. There were two scenarios investigated: ‘cannot intubate, can ventilate’(CI) and ‘cannot intubate, cannot ventilate’(CICV). Following initial evaluation, volunteers underwent training in the ‘Difficult Airway Society’ (DAS) algorithms and associated technical skills. At 6–8 weeks and 6–8 months, performance was compared with the initial evaluation. There was a more structured approach following training (p