High-level simulators in emergency department education: thoughts from the trainers’ perspective

[...]we outline other current educational uses of simulators in the emergency department setting and hint at future roles. Table 1 Simulator capabilities Simulator capabilities Meti* Laerdal SimMan Airway Oral/nasal endotracheal intubation [checkmark] [checkmark] Difficult airway [checkmark] [checkmark] Trismus x [checkmark] Decreased neck movement [checkmark] [checkmark] Needle cricothyroidotomy [checkmark] [checkmark] Surgical airway [checkmark] [checkmark] Breathing Breath sounds (wheezes/crackles/absent) [checkmark] [checkmark] (and stridor) Tension pneumothorax Left side only Either side Endobronchial intubation [checkmark] [checkmark] Needle thoracocentesis Left side Chest drain insertion Right side x Respiratory rate variation [checkmark] [checkmark] Bronchial tree x [checkmark] Circulation Palpable pulses Carotoid, fermoral, radial,brachial, dorsal pedal Radial, carotid Physiological response to drugs [checkmark] Not automatic Defibrillation [checkmark] [checkmark] Rhythm changes [checkmark] [checkmark] Disability Pupil sizes and responses [checkmark] x Eyes open or closed/blink speed [checkmark] x Voice simulation Via microphone Inbuilt cough, moan, vomit or microphone Instructor control ECG [checkmark] [checkmark] Sats [checkmark] [checkmark] NIBP [checkmark] [checkmark] IBP [checkmark] x CVP [checkmark] [checkmark] ETCO2 [checkmark] [checkmark] CVP, central venous pressure; ECG, electrocardiogram; ETCO2, end-total carbon dioxide concentration in the expired air; IBP, invasive blood pressure; NIBP, non-invasive blood pressure.