DAS Project Grant
The successful applicant for the DAS Project Grant was:
Principal Applicant
Dr Wendy King
The Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford
Title
Bench study comparing three different emergency tracheal access devices in a porcine model
Amount
£3,855.40
Scientific Abstract
"Can't intubate, can't ventilate" (CICV) is a life-threatening emergency occurring in approximately 1:50,000 general anaesthetics. Despite this rarity, it is imperative that appropriate emergency tracheal access equipment is available, in order that we can be optimally prepared for such an eventuality. Several cricothyrotomy devices are available, but there is little consensus as to which is quickest and safest.
We plan to conduct a bench study comparing 3 cricothyrotomy techniques (surgical cricothyrotomy , Melker Emergency Cricothyrotomy, and the new VBM Surgicric1 on a porcine airway. The pig larynx and trachea has been used in previous studies, and found to provide a realistic anatomical representation of the human airway. It will be housed in an airway training manikin, and covered in pig skin.
Having excluded the requirement for Research Ethics Approval, anaesthetists (n=25) will be recruited. They will receive a standardised 5 minute demonstration of each technique, and permitted a single practise insertion into a manikin. They will perform cricothyrotomy on a fresh pig larynx with each method in randomised order. Primary outcomes measured will be success rate, and time to successful completion of procedure. Secondary outcomes include number of attempts, immediate complications, and user preference.
Final report from Dr W King.pdf (69 KB)
Please see the NIAA's position statement on the use of animals in medical research.
