CPR for Common Men: A Step-by-Step Guide to Saving Lives

Learn the essential CPR techniques every common man should know.

This blog provides a comprehensive guide on performing CPR correctly, offering valuable tips and step-by-step instructions. Empower yourself with life-saving skills today!

Empowering common men with the ability to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) can be a game-changer in emergency situations. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential steps and techniques of CPR, equipping you with the knowledge and confidence needed to save lives. Whether you’re a parent, a caregiver, or simply a concerned citizen, mastering CPR is a valuable skill that can make a significant impact. Let’s delve into the world of CPR and learn how you can be prepared to be a life-saving hero!     

So starting with understanding, what exactly is CPR? 

CPR is an emergency procedure that combines chest compressions and rescue breaths to maintain blood circulation and oxygen supply to the brain and vital organs. It is commonly used to revive individuals who have experienced cardiac arrest, drowning, or other life-threatening situations.

Step-by-Step CPR Instructions:

1. Assess the scene: Ensure your safety and check for any potential hazards before approaching the victim.

2. Check responsiveness: Tap the victim’s shoulder and ask if he/she is feeling okay, If there is no response, the person may be unconscious and require immediate CPR.

3. Call for help: Dial emergency services or instruct someone nearby to call while you initiate CPR.

4. Perform chest compressions:

  • Place the heel of your hand on the center of the victim’s chest.
  • Position your other hand on top, interlacing your fingers.
  • Lock your elbows and use your upper body weight to push down firmly, aiming for a depth of about 2 inches.
  • Perform chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute.

5. Deliver rescue breaths:

  • Tilt the victim’s head back gently and lift their chin.
  • Pinch their nose and create a tight seal over their mouth with yours.
  • Give two rescue breaths, each lasting about one second.
  • Observe the chest rise and fall.

6. Continue CPR cycles: 

Alternate between chest compressions and rescue breaths in a ratio of 30:2. Aim for a minimum of 2 minutes of CPR before reassessing the victim’s condition.

Things to know while you Essential CPR Tips:

  • Don’t be afraid to perform CPR. Remember, any attempt is better than no attempt at all.
  • Press hard and fast during chest compressions. This helps maintain blood circulation effectively.
  • Allow the chest to fully recoil between compressions, ensuring optimal blood flow.
  • Take turns with another person if possible, as performing CPR can be physically demanding.
  • Stay calm and focused, following the instructions provided by emergency medical services if you’re on the phone with them.

Being prepared to perform CPR is crucial for common men in emergency situations. By following the step-by-step guide outlined in this blog, you can gain confidence and potentially save lives. 

Remember, CPR is a skill that can make a significant difference until professional help arrives. Whether it’s your loved one, a stranger, or even yourself, your knowledge of CPR can be the lifeline that gives them a second chance. Equip yourself with these essential life-saving techniques and be the hero when it counts!

The Impact of I.V. Injection Simulators on Training Outcomes

The medical field is an ever-changing and advancing industry. As new technologies and techniques emerge, healthcare professionals must continue to learn and improve their skills. One area where technology has made a significant impact is in medical training. Specifically, the use of simulation technology has proven to be an effective way to train healthcare professionals and has considerably improved training outcomes in the medical field over the years.

I.V. Injection Simulator

An intravenous (I.V.) injection simulator is a device that is used to simulate the injection of fluids into a patient’s veins. These simulators are designed to mimic the actual experience of administering an I.V. injection and provide a realistic training experience for healthcare professionals. One of the main benefits of using these I.V. injection simulators is that they allow for repeated practice without the need for live patients. This means that healthcare professionals can gain valuable experience without putting actual patients at risk. Additionally, these simulators provide immediate feedback, allowing users to adjust their technique and improve their skills.

Virtual Reality IV Injection Simulation

Virtual reality (VR) technology has been a game-changer in the medical field, and the use of VR for I.V. injection simulation is no exception. VR allows for a fully immersive experience, where users can practice administering injections in a simulated environment. This technology provides a level of realism that cannot be achieved with traditional simulation methods. For example, VR can simulate the sensation of inserting a needle into a patient’s vein, providing a more realistic training experience. The use of VR for I.V. injection simulation has been shown to greatly improve training outcomes in healthcare professionals and increase their confidence.

Improved Performance and Quality in CPR Manikin Training

Another area where simulation technology has made an impact is in CPR manikin training. CPR manikins are used to simulate cardiac arrest situations and allow healthcare professionals to practice life-saving techniques. In recent years, simulation technology has advanced to the point where CPR manikins can provide real-time feedback on performance. For example, some CPR manikins can measure the depth and rate of chest compressions, providing immediate feedback to the user. This technology has been shown to improve the quality and effectiveness of CPR training, leading to better patient outcomes.

At the end of the day, the use of simulation technology has greatly improved training outcomes in the medical field. I.V. injection simulators and virtual reality technologies make for a realistic training experience, allowing healthcare professionals to gain valuable experience without the need to risk live patients. Additionally, the use of simulation technology in CPR manikin training has improved the quality and effectiveness of training, leading to better patient outcomes. And as technology continues to advance, it is likely that simulation technology will become an even more essential part of medical training.

How Realistic Feedback is Revolutionizing CPR Manikin Training

Did you know that 9 out of 10 people who have a cardiac arrest outside the hospital die? CPR is a very easy skill to learn, and its quality can be improved by providing real-time feedback.

What is CPR?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving technique used in emergency situations to keep blood and oxygen flowing to vital organs when someone’s heart has stopped beating. It can save a life if their breathing or heart stops. (During a cardiac arrest, a person’s heart stops beating and cannot pump blood to the rest of the body. But in a heart attack, the blood flow to the heart is blocked.)

To ensure that the best possible outcomes are achieved in a real-life scenario, the quality of CPR administered during training is crucial. One essential tool for providing effective CPR training is the use of a realistic feedback device, such as an advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) CPR feedback device, which provides accurate and immediate feedback on the quality of CPR being performed.

Real-time Feedback Device ACLS

ACLS feedback devices are designed to improve the quality of CPR training by providing feedback on key metrics such as compression depth, compression rate, and recoil. These devices are integrated into CPR manikins to provide real-time feedback to trainees on the quality of their compressions and breaths. This feedback is based on the latest American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for CPR, ensuring that trainees receive the most up-to-date information on proper CPR techniques.

Purpose of the CPR Feedback Device

During CPR training, the feedback device helps trainees learn the proper technique to administer chest compressions and ventilations. It also helps them maintain a consistent rhythm and depth of compressions, which are critical for the success of CPR. Without the use of a feedback device, trainees may not know whether they are administering CPR correctly, which can lead to ineffective training and potentially life-threatening mistakes during real-life emergency situations.

Feedback Functions for Review During CPR

Feedback devices also let trainees review their performance after a CPR training session. They can record and store data, provide graphical representations of CPR performance, and offer suggestions for improvement. By reviewing this data, trainees can identify areas where they need to improve and adjust their technique accordingly. This helps them perform better in future CPR training sessions and ultimately, in real-life situations.

The importance of realistic feedback in CPR manikins cannot be overstated. Using a feedback device is essential for providing effective CPR training and improving the quality of CPR administered during real-life emergencies. Real-time feedback devices, such as ACLS feedback devices, provide trainees with immediate feedback on the quality of their compressions and ventilations, helping them learn and maintain proper CPR technique. They also let them review and identify areas where they need to improve and adjust their technique. Ultimately, using realistic feedback devices in CPR training saves lives by ensuring that trainees are well-prepared to provide high-quality CPR when it matters most.

7 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a CPR Manikin for Effective Training

Did you know that while an ambulance can arrive within 8 minutes, every minute spent without giving someone CPR can decrease their chances of making a full recovery by around 10%?

CPR is possibly one of the most useful skills to have. Yet most bystanders won’t attempt CPR because they are afraid to do it wrong. But essentially, even 9-year-olds have the capacity to effectively give CPR.

What is CPR?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique that can be used in emergencies to help revive someone who has experienced cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening event. Proper training in CPR is essential for anyone who might need to perform it, whether they are healthcare professionals, first responders, or laypeople. And choosing the right CPR manikin is the first step to effective CPR training. In this article, we will discuss the factors to consider when selecting a CPR manikin.

Factors to Consider While Choosing CPR Manikin for Effective Training

1. Realism and Features

The first factor to consider when choosing a CPR manikin is its realism and the features it comes with. A realistic manikin will provide a more accurate simulation of a real-life emergency situation and will better prepare trainees for the challenges they might face when performing CPR on a live patient. Features like a realistic airway, chest rise, and fall, and the ability to simulate breathing or coughing also contribute to a manikin’s realism. A manikin with a variety of features will allow trainees to practice a wider range of scenarios, increasing their confidence and competence. Although it’s important to consider how many features you actually need. While sometimes, you may end up with a manikin with too many features that will end up never being used, other times, you might buy a manikin with fewer features and then later have to buy another one or a part to extend its capabilities.

2. Durability and Maintenance

Another important factor to consider is the durability and maintenance of the manikin. A well-constructed manikin will withstand frequent use and abuse and will last longer than a cheaper, less well-made model. The maintenance requirements of the manikin should also be taken into account, including cleaning and storage, to ensure that it remains in good condition and ready for use as it will be used by hundreds over time.

3. Ease of Use

You also need to consider whether the manikin is easy to use. Trainees should be able to set up and use the manikin without difficulty, and the manikin should be easy to adjust to meet the needs of each individual trainee. A manikin that is too complex or difficult to use might discourage trainees and reduce their engagement in the training process, defeating its purpose.

4. Cost

The cost of a CPR manikin is an important factor to consider, but it should not be the only one. Cheaper models might be more affordable, but they might also lack important features or be less durable. On the other hand, more expensive models might have more features than necessary for your specific training needs. It is important to find a balance between affordability and quality to ensure that the manikin you choose meets your training needs and budget.

5. Portability

Portability is another factor to consider, especially if you need to transport the manikin to different locations for training sessions. A portable manikin should be easy to transport and set up, and it should not be too heavy or bulky to handle. The portability of the manikin will also affect its storage requirements, as a smaller, more compact model will require less space to store.

6. Feedback Mechanism

A feedback mechanism can be a helpful tool for trainees to receive instant, real-time feedback on the effectiveness of their CPR technique. A manikin with a feedback mechanism can provide information on the depth and rate of chest compressions, the quality of the ventilation, and other important metrics that can help trainees improve their technique. Some feedback mechanisms are integrated into the manikin, while others require additional equipment or software.

7. Compatibility with Training Programs

The manikin you choose should be compatible with the training programs you plan to use. Some manikins might be designed for specific training programs or might be more suited to certain types of training, such as advanced life support (ALS) or pediatric life support (PALS). It is important to choose a manikin that will allow you to fully implement the training programs you plan to use, and that will provide the best possible training experience for your trainees.

Choosing the right CPR manikin is an important factor in effective CPR training. When selecting a manikin, it is important to consider factors like realism and features, durability and maintenance, ease of use, cost, portability, feedback mechanism, and compatibility with training programs. By taking these factors into account, you can choose a manikin that meets your training needs and budget, and that will help prepare trainees respond effectively in real-life emergency situations.

Realism in Airway Management Manikins: Why it’s Crucial for Training Success

Airway management is one of the essential skills you will learn as a healthcare professional. In cases of traumatic accidents and other injuries, it can become crucial to maintaining a clear airway to ensure the adequate delivery of oxygen to vital organs. The ability to manage a patient’s airway is a core component of critical care, emergency medicine, and anesthesia.

Proper airway management requires skill and practice, and the level of skill often cannot be achieved without enough practice. But learners who are just starting out are often not appointed to such cases or are allowed to observe at the most. Medical simulation using airway management manikins can be an effective tool for training healthcare professionals. However, the realism of the manikin is a critical factor in ensuring that the training outcomes translate into real-world scenarios.

What is Realism in Airway Management Manikins?

The realism of an airway management manikin refers to the degree to which the manikin simulates the real-life anatomy and physiology of the human airway. A realistic manikin will have features that closely resemble those of a human airway, including the size, shape, and texture of the airway structures. A manikin with high realism will simulate the resistance and compliance of the airway, making it more challenging to ventilate and intubate. The manikin should also be able to provide feedback that is comparable to the feedback given by a human patient.

Why does Realism Matter in Airway Management Manikins?

Realism matters in airway management manikins because it directly affects the quality of training outcomes. A manikin with high realism will provide a more accurate representation of real-life airway anatomy and physiology, allowing healthcare professionals to practice techniques and procedures in a more lifelike environment. In contrast, a manikin with low realism may not provide a sufficient challenge or adequately simulate the difficulties of airway management in real-life situations.

Realism also affects the level of engagement and immersion of the learner. A highly realistic manikin will create a more immersive training experience, allowing the learner to fully engage with the scenario and feel more prepared to manage the airway in real-life situations. Practicing with a manikin with low realism might not stimulate the learner as much, but with a manikin with high realism, things get very real, very fast.

Realistic manikins can also provide feedback that is comparable to a human patient, allowing healthcare professionals to assess their performance and identify areas that require improvement.

How does Realism Improve Training Outcomes in Airway Management Manikins?

Realistic airway management manikins improve training outcomes in several ways:

  • They allow for a more accurate assessment of the learner’s performance. A highly realistic manikin can simulate airway obstruction, providing a more realistic challenge for the healthcare professional to overcome. This challenge allows the learner to practice and perfect their technique, leading to improved performance and confidence in real-life situations.
  • Realistic manikins provide a safer training environment. In real-life situations, airway management can be a risky and complex procedure. By providing a safe and controlled environment for training, healthcare professionals can learn and practice airway management techniques without putting real patients at risk.
  • Realism can help prepare healthcare professionals for unexpected scenarios. Airway management can be unpredictable, and a highly realistic manikin can simulate unexpected events, such as difficult intubations or equipment failure, to provide healthcare professionals with experience in managing these situations.
  • Realistic manikins can help improve teamwork and communication skills. In real-life situations, airway management requires coordination between multiple healthcare professionals. Training with a highly realistic manikin can simulate these scenarios and provide an opportunity for healthcare professionals to practice teamwork and communication skills. It can create a very realistic training scenario and help build various communication, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.

Realism is a critical factor in ensuring that airway management manikins provide effective training outcomes. A highly realistic manikin can simulate real-life airway anatomy and physiology, providing a more immersive training experience and improving the engagement and performance of the learner. Realistic manikins can also provide a safer training environment, helping prepare healthcare professionals to think on their feet and make life-saving decisions in such high-stress situations.

Benefits of Medical Manikins in Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Training

Around 46% of all maternal deaths and 40% of neonatal deaths happen during labor or within the first 24 hours after birth.

Manikins and simulators help build relevant obstetric and gynecological skills that prepare and equip them with the skills to handle obstetric emergencies, and endoscopic and laparoscopic surgeries like hysterectomy, salpingectomy, oophorectomy, and access to the abdomen. Simulation gives them a platform to engage in hands-on practice for standard delivery, postpartum hemorrhages, massive blood transfusion, fetal malpresentation, vaginal hysterectomies, amniotic fluid emboli, etonogestrel implant insertions, shoulder dystocias, among others, improving the quality of care available to people.

The benefits of incorporating medical manikins in obstetrics and gynecology residency training are paramount and extensive, making it an indispensable tool in the field.

Benefits of Medical Manikins in Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Training

1. Experience

Only 3.6% of obstetrics and gynecology residents feel confident in their ability to perform robotic surgery without further training. This lack of confidence may be attributed to a lack of opportunities to gain that experience. For example, all emergency and life-threatening cases are assigned to experts, leaving others to watch or assist, depriving them of the potential hands-on experience. Medical manikins and simulators solve that problem as they provide the opportunity for hands-on experience in a safe, controlled environment and for a wide range of scenarios.

2. Accessibility

Given the sensitivity of obstetrics and gynecology, simulation can be an effective tool in letting students practice difficult skills and procedures. Medical manikins and simulators are also able to create situations where students can practice procedures that are hard to reproduce otherwise, need repeated practice, or contain high-fidelity scenarios. And all this is made possible without posing any risk, inconvenience, or discomfort to real patients.

3. Transitional

Manikins and simulators bridge the gap between theory and practical as they prepare learners for the real thing. Although these aren’t real patients or real situations, that doesn’t make it ineffective. When a learner enters such a carefully planned simulation scenario with manikins, simulators, actors, and stories, it gets real very, very fast. The manikins also look and respond like real patients. Using manikins for training these obstetric and gynecological skills is therefore pivotal in making sure students don’t enter the working field feeling unprepared or unequipped to deal with the exigencies of the real hospital setting.

4. Skill-building

Through repeated hands-on practice, manikins and simulators are able to build diverse skills in learners- skills that cannot all be cultivated as well through theoretical teaching paradigms alone. In addition to specific clinical skills, it is effective at building interprofessional communication skills, teamwork skills, decision-making skills, and emotional skills that allow them to effectively communicate with patients or distressed family members. In fact, simulation can elevate the skill levels of first and second-year residents to that of third and fourth-year residents. Additionally, it can also be used to teach new skills to experienced professionals.

5. Knowledge Acquisition and Retention

Repeated practice is also great at cementing the fundamentals into the learners’ minds. Not only do they understand concepts better and in more detail, but they also retain the learned information for longer, studies show.

6. Encourages Improvement

Through simulation and its ability to provide real-time feedback, medical manikins are able to identify which skills need more work for each individual learner, leaving no stone unturned. Additionally, the simulation may also identify facility organizational and equipment issues.

7. Better Maternal-Fetal Outcomes

Since manikins and simulators are able to allow learners the ability to practice without the consequences of making mistakes, it gives them the freedom to explore. Through this, it is able to teach in a way that is unsurpassed. This translates to knowledgeable students that graduate into professionals who know what they are doing. And ultimately, this improves maternal-fetal outcomes as it helps these professionals take crucial decisions at the right time.

Through simulation, real-time feedback, assessment, and debriefing, medical manikins, and simulators can achieve new heights for obstetrics and gynecology training and form an integral part of the training of medical residents.

How Medical Manikins are Preparing Healthcare Professionals for High-Stress Emergency Situations?

Saving lives is challenging enough without the added pressure of emergency. But day and night, doctors and nurses have to tend to those in the emergency ward.

When you are in a position to save a life, a lot is at stake and you need to do the right thing at the right time. But in a high-stress situation like that, it can be easy to overlook certain details and make a wrong decision. For example, when a patient loses consciousness, one may start delivering chest compressions without checking the vitals first.

Simulation can Provide Unmatched Exposure in Emergency Situation

Theory alone does not suffice to make these students capable enough to deal with whatever emergency situation comes along. But with the state-of-the-art manikins and simulators available today, instructors are able to set up hyper-realistic emergency scenarios in real-time to test and help students build both clinical and communication/emotional skills. With these high-tech medical manikins, they are able to practice in a realistic learning environment.

1. Medical Manikins for a Variety of Emergency Scenarios

It is especially difficult to prepare students for handling emergencies because they cannot be assigned to an actual emergency situation without risking patient lives. But ranging from low-fidelity to high-fidelity and available for specific skills as well, these manikins are able to mimic any medical emergency. Whether it’s cardiac arrest, an epileptic seizure, a patient going into shock, or a neonatal complication that can endanger the lives of the mother and the baby, simulating an emergency situation can equip learners with the tools to handle it correctly. And in addition to making training accessible, simulation can also make it cost-effective.

2. Medical Manikins for Mass Casualties

An emergency may also present itself in the dozens or the hundreds. For example, a concert bombing or an airport disaster may require medical personnel to make multiple critical decisions while also taking triage to save as many lives as they can. In such a scenario, one wrong decision can lead to a series of bad decisions, and cost many lives. Simulation can also help prepare students for disasters with such massive casualties so they can get to save lives without wasting precious time in being overwhelmed and making mistakes. It can also build the competence to treat a large number of people with limited supplies.

Simulation can Help Build a Variety of Skills that Come in Handy During an Emergency

When seeing a patient, a verbal assessment can make the process easier as they tell you what’s wrong or what happened. But this is not always possible in an emergency situation. The patient may be unconscious or unable to speak. Then, you are left reliant on all your senses. By paying attention to what you see, smell, or touch can help you figure out what’s wrong.

Manikins are perfect at building these skills in a learner as they do respond realistically and are lifelike, but may require the learner to use all the information available to them to be able to figure out what’s going on. Through this kind of simulation, they can improve at skills like drug selection, dosage adjustment, timing of administration, monitoring for adverse effects, reduction of waste by interrupting an incorrect order processed in the pharmacy, rounding of doses to the nearest vial size, and reuse of medications.

The goal is to make it feel as real as possible. You would think that students might not take it as seriously since it’s just manikins, but even though it’s all simulated, to a learner, it feels like they are working with a real person with a heartbeat, breathing sounds, and a pulse.

Simulation training has, over the years, been used across medical disciplines to improve skills and instill confidence, allowing students to learn via hands-on experience. Simulation is not only able to teach crucial skills, but also helps reinforce those skills when paired with a lecture-based teaching paradigm. Its effectiveness has been studied year after year, and has cemented it as an indispensable teaching tool for preparing medical personnel to handle emergencies. After all, it can be a matter of life and death.

Simulators and Manikins that are Changing the Healthcare Scenario | SEM Trainers

It is hard to imagine teaching basic clinical skills without using simulators today. The technology has revolutionized our approach to healthcare and has significantly improved the quality of healthcare available. If you are someone who trains aspiring learners in the medical/nursing fields, you can’t go ahead without thinking about medical manikins and simulators.

When deciding which manikins to purchase, there are many factors you need to consider, like functionality, fidelity, and cost, among others. At SEM Trainers, we bring you the biggest variety of simulators and manikins, all of which are ISO 9001-Certified and acquired from 3B Scientific, meeting the highest quality standards. We provide everything from low-fidelity to high-fidelity trainers, for all your needs.

Here are some of SEM Trainers’ leading medical simulators:

Airway Larry

This airway management trainer torso has realistic anatomy and landmarks, and is perfect for practicing intubation, ventilation, suction, and CPR techniques for both freshers and advanced students.

ADAM-X-HPS-PRO

ADAM is the most realistic, high-fidelity adult male human patient simulator. He’s good for everything from patient care and emergency medical intervention to resuscitation training for dynamic team training. If you’re looking for an Advanced Trauma Life Support trainer, you can’t miss this one.

Adult CPR Manikin

A realistic, full-size manikin with anatomical landmarks for training BLS rescue techniques and CPR.

Advanced Child Airway Management Trainer

With tongue swelling and laryngospasm, this 5-year old child trainer is perfect for practicing intubation, ventilation, suction, and jaw thrust skills on pediatric patients- for both introductory and advanced training.

Patient Care Manikin PRO

A complete patient care and advanced nursing skills solution. This adult, life-size patient manikin has interchangeable genitals and natural movement of the arms, legs, and joints. It’s great for teaching everything from transfer skills and bed care to bathing and bandaging a patient- and everything in between.

Advanced Casualty Simulation Kit

This is an emergency simulation kit with complex wounds testing higher levels of skill in bandaging and patient care while keeping initial expenditures low. It includes a gunshot wound of the palm, a sucking wound of the chest, compound fractures of the humerus and the tibia, and an open amputation in addition to 24 stick-on lacerations and open fracture wounds.

Advanced Lucy

Bringing a human into this world is powerful, so here’s an emotionally engaging birthing simulator, Advanced Lucy, to bring a new level of realism to prenatal to postnatal delivery scenarios. Lucy is anatomically accurate and helps students experience normal and abnormal deliveries, preparing them for the real ones.

Advanced KERi Nursing Manikin

KERi doesn’t seem to have a specific age, but is capable of a lifelike range of motion, realistic patient positioning, and non-pinching joints so it even moves like a real person. And it can convert to male. KERi is great for everything from bandaging and bed baths to catheterization and pap smears.

Articulating Fetus

A realistic, 42cm fetus with articulating head, neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees for more realistic practice of difficult delivery exercises such as Leopold’s or Ritgen’s maneuvers.

Rescue Randy

Randy is a rugged, hyper-realistic manikin designed for enhanced realistic training on procedures that treat the 3 most preventable causes of death (massive bleeding, tension pneumothorax, and airway obstruction). It is compliant with TCCC/TECC scenarios.

Complete Intramuscular Injection Training Kit

This kit has the entire 3B Scientific suite of intramuscular injection simulators and helps practice IM injections anywhere on the body. It also helps locate the correct site for injection using realistic and anatomically accurate upper arm, buttock, and upper leg simulators, and helps feel the correct needle depth too.

This was just a sneak peek into the long list of leading manikins and simulators from SEM Trainers. Visit www.semtrainers.com to see over 1200 products listed on our site and take your pick.

After all, these simulators will end up being used for years, training hundreds, even thousands of students before they’ll need to be replaced. With manikins and simulators, you deserve nothing but the best.

3 Questions to Ask Before Buying Your Next Patient Simulator

What is a Human Patient Simulator?

Patient simulators are life-size manikins with lifelike features and responsive physiology like respiration, heart beat, and pulse. In simpler terms, these are mechanical and computer-controlled simulators that look realistic and respond realistically, showing symptoms and disease processes as would be in real life. This kind of high-fidelity realism provides a hands-on learning experience in a controlled environment, and is great for building clinical skills, communication skills, and critical thinking in learners.

One thing to consider when buying a simulator or manikin is their high acquisition and maintenance costs. With that in mind, before making a purchase, it’s important to ask the right questions.

Question: What skills do we need to teach with this patient simulator?

Patient simulators come in a variety of models, from surgical simulators and military simulators to birthing simulators, preterm infant simulators, and geriatric simulators. Some manikins come with severed limbs or burn injuries. These can be great for teaching learners how to deal with military, trauma, or emergency cases while also training on triage for such cases. With multiple manikins, you can also create mass casualty simulations. If your purpose is to train for birthing related skills, you can go for various manikins to simulate labor, delivery, newborn emergencies, and postpartum critical events. These can teach skills like delivering a baby head down, caring for preterm babies, caring for sick babies, caring for the mother with postpartum complications. Whatever skills you need to teach, look for simulators related to that.

Question: How realistic should the patient simulator be?

Patient simulators can be low-,mid-, or high-fidelity manikins. The higher the fidelity, the more realistic and lifelike the simulator and its replication of the human body’s various functions. Let’s ask the first question again- what skills need to be taught with the simulator? If you need it for repetitive task training like starting IVs or inserting urinary catheters, a simple low-fidelity manikin will do. If you need individuals to learn how to change dressing or practice suturing, simple silicon wound models will be enough. If you want to teach something like performing CPR, you’ll need basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation manikins. For assessing vital signs or training on nursing skills, you might be better off with mid-fidelity manikins. This can help them figure out whether it’s safe to give a medicine depending on the current vital signs. Most high-fidelity manikins will mimic complex body systems (for ex- the chest may rise and fall, there may be chest and bowel sounds, and you may be able to feel a pulse) and help train on complex clinical skills and trauma or emergency cases. Some high-fidelity manikins may also be able to speak or cry. Basically, to understand what kind of fidelity you want, you’ll need to think about the complexity of the task you need to train on.

Question: What is your budget?

Another important question is to ask what your budget is for the patient simulator. For this, you need to consider what functionalities you will need in the simulator. Will you need a very high-fidelity manikin or will a mid- or low-fidelity one be enough? High-fidelity manikins tend to be costlier than mid- and low-fidelity ones. Sometimes, people end up buying the high-fidelity ones and then many of those functions go unused either because they are not required for the scope of the learning or because people aren’t even aware of those functions. Other times, people buy low- or mid-fidelity manikins, but then have to buy better ones eventually. You may also need to ask yourself- “Do I need to buy a high-fidelity manikin for this or distribute the budget elsewhere in the lab too?” To be honest, neither fidelity is superior to the other, they both have their pros and cons. While high-fidelity manikins are more realistic, low-fidelity ones allow students to learn at their pace. The decision may come to what skills need to be taught.

Ultimately, you need to make a decision based on what functions you need and what skills you need to teach while making a trade-off between cost and fidelity (but accommodating the fidelity needs of the skills to be taught).

Simulation is the only way to provide learners the opportunity to deal with rare and life-threatening situations without causing any risk to real patients. And even then, when they make mistakes, they get to see the implications of the errors and are allowed the chance to rectify their mistakes. Over the last few years, this technology has revolutionized how we approach healthcare and the quality of patient care, and it’s exciting to think about what the future holds for it.

More Blog:

Medical Simulation Training: Market Share, Projected Growth

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What are the Challenges Involved in Saving Lives in Hospitals?

The responsibility of saving lives that befalls our hospitals and the Indian healthcare system as a whole is thwarted by the several challenges it faces on all fronts. Together, these can affect not only the quality of care delivered but whether people seek that care at all.

Lack of Awareness

The first challenge to delivering effective healthcare is a lack of awareness in the public. From ignoring their symptoms and believing they don’t need treatment to more concrete barriers like affordability and a lack of resources, a lot of things get in the way of saving lives. This may be attributed to factors like poor education, poor functional literacy, and a low priority for health.

Lack of Access

Even those who are aware may not have access to quality healthcare owing to financial, organizational, social, and cultural barriers, even in places where they are available. This brings us to physical accessibility. Living further away from town increases the odds of disease, malnourishment, weakness, and premature death.

Shortage of Healthcare Workers

Not only do hospitals need to have an adequate number of working personnel, they need people who are appropriately trained and employable. By introducing simulation-led training in our medical and nursing curricula, we can create more prepared and capable healthcare workers in the future.

A 2019 study discovered that we only have one doctor for every 1457 people and 1.7 nurses for every 1000 people. And the manpower we do have is distributed unevenly as most prefer to work in more developed areas where their own quality of life and that of their children will be superior. The public healthcare system is also not allocated enough funds. This difference in quality of care drives people to prefer private healthcare, which is often not affordable for most. People in rural areas are discouraged and less likely to seek treatment when they travel far to government-run healthcare facilities and find a lack of qualified professionals and inadequate infrastructure. 

Additionally, we only have one bed for every 2,239 people. These shortages in personnel, PPE kits, oxygen cylinders, and ambulances posed great challenges in saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cost of Healthcare

The inconsistent costs and lack of cost regulation in the private sector often ends up as huge medical bills, specially in emergency cases. For example, because many families aren’t able to shoulder the increasingly high costs of infant care and pre-natal surgical procedures, the infant mortality rate in India is one of the highest in the world. In contrast, public healthcare facilities are cheap or free, but unreliable.

Poor Soft Skills

The ability to effectively communicate with the patients and their frustrated family members, and within the team itself is crucial to the success of a case more than you’d think. Theory alone will not prepare individuals for dealing with patients, so a good way to build communication skills and other soft skills is to incorporate simulation-led training.

Lack of Openness to Digitalization

Another challenge faced is the lack of openness to digitalization among the hospital staff. For several reasons, as the world becomes increasingly digitalized, hospitals need to catch up too. But not everyone may be comfortable with incorporating it to refine existing procedures. Doctors may also be set in their ways and show no interest in learning the new tools.

Less Emphasis on Preventive Care

Preventive care can usually solve a lot of problems in terms of misery and financial losses, and avoid worse problems along the road. But most people either don’t know or don’t care about general preventive care. This not only saves money for the patient, but also reduces the burden on the limited healthcare infrastructure.

As we advance technologically, with more facilities, there will always be newer challenges to address. What’s important is to keep going forward and create a reliable healthcare system for everyone.

More Blog:

Medical Simulation Training: Market Share, Projected Growth

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