The 50-millilitre syringe as an inexpensive training aid in the application of cricoid pressure

Abstract

A recent study in our department demonstrated that depressing the plunger of a 50-mL syringe was reliably and linearly related to the force applied between 20N and 50N. Using a 50-mL syringe we constructed a simple device to help train anaesthetic assistants to apply cricoid pressure correctly. We then tested anaesthetists, operating department practitioners (non-physicians) and nurses in our hospital to see if they could correctly apply forces of 20 and 40 N. All subjects were then trained using this apparatus and once confident were retested immediately afterwards, and again 1 week and 1 month later. The results show a wide variation in the force applied with only 30% of subjects applying appropriate force at 20N, and 40% at 40N. Training leads to a significant improvement in performance (P < 0.005 at 20N and P < 0.001 at 40N) which is maintained for 1 week for both 20N (P < 0.05) and 40N (P < 0.05) but not for 1 month. Therefore training should be practised on a weekly basis. This is an inexpensive and simple device that we believe to be useful in helping anaesthetic assistants to apply effective cricoid pressure.