Incorporation of 3D-printed feline larynx model as a teaching tool for veterinary students

SAKAI D; SKRZYPCZAK; NEJAMKIN, P; CLAUSSE M; BULANT CARLOS; GENARO ARIEL; CLAUSSE ALEJANDRO; DEL SOLE MJ

Dublin

Congreso; AVA spring meeting; 2020

Association of Veterinary Anesthetists

Endotracheal intubation (EI) in cats is associated with higher mortality risk. This can be decreased with simulation-based training. We evaluated the implementation of a low-cost feline larynx model (LaryngoCUBE 2019) as a training device for veterinary students.Veterinary students practiced EI in cats sedated with dexmedetomidine and hydromorphone and induced with propofol. They attempted EI and evaluated the difficulty with a visual analogue score (VAS; 0 cm = very easy and 10 cm = extremely difficult). Up to three attempts were permitted. For successful EI, we measured the time and number of attempts. The students received either standard training (ST, n = 22) or trained with a larynx model the day prior to anesthesia (MT, n = 16). Fisher?s exact and Mann-Whitney tests compared groups with alpha at 5%.The VAS [median (minimum ? maximum)] on the ST and MT were 4.5 (0.0 ? 10.0) cm and 3.0 (0.2 ? 10.0) cm, respectively (p = 0.029). The failure rate was 27.3% on the ST and 25.0% on the MT (p = 1.000). The EI time on ST [58 (18 ? 160) seconds] was not different from MT [29 (13 ? 120) seconds; p = 0.101]. The number of attempts on ST [2 (1 ? 3)] and MT [1 (1 ? 3)] were different (p = 0.005).Prior practice with a larynx model decreased the difficulty encountered by the students. However, EI success rate in MT was not improved. A shorter, non-statistically significant time and fewer attempts for EI were observed in the MT.