SimMan relaxing in Pittsburgh at NAEMSE Conference                SimMan back to work and ready for training  

                                                                              LATEX WARNING

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sim·u·la·tion 

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 What is the rationale behind simulation?

  Two large studies, one conducted in Colorado and Utah and the other in New York, found that adverse events occurred in 2.9 and 3.7 percent of hospitalizations, respectively. In Colorado and Utah hospitals, 6.6 percent of adverse events led to death, as compared with 13.6 percent in New York hospitals. In both of these studies, over half of these adverse events resulted from medical errors and could have been prevented.

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Who is this SimMan anyway?

                SimMan: The advanced simulator for training in emergencies

SimMan is a portable and advanced computer driven patient simulator for team training. SimMan has realistic anatomy and clinical functionality. SimMan provides simulation-based education to challenge and test students’ clinical and decision-making skills during realistic patient care scenarios. SimMan uses well-proven software and an interactive technologically advanced manikin allowing learners to practice the emergency treatment of patients. With video debriefing to help assess critical thinking and patient care skills after scenario is completed, SimMan provides a new educational technique that will challenge the best of EMS professionals.

How does he work?

Carotid pulses are located on both sides of the neck. Carotid pulses only last for about 10 beats before needing reactivation. The head allows for performance of head tilt and jaw thrust maneuvers. Tongue edema, Trismas, Laryngospasm, and Posterior Pharyngeal Swelling are all possible conditions. SimMan's pupils are also interchangable with varying sizes, and can set up as the scenario dictates.

SimMan is able accept nasal and oral airways and to be intubated with ET Tubes, LMA's, Combitubes and may even be used to train for needle and surgical cricothyroidotomy. Bronchoscopy of the lungs reveal SimMan's accurate bronchial tree. Needle decompression and chest tube insertion sites help to challenge the skills of ALS providers.

ECG library of over 2,500 cardiac rhythm variants as well as compression artifacts on ECG during CPR. Defibrillation or Cardiac monitoring via 3-lead or 4-lead connectors, 12 lead ECG's are available via patient's touchscreen monitor.  ECG monitoring or via the defib paddles. External Pacing with variable pacing threshold.

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Check for radial pulse and brachial pulse in the left arm only, the right arm is for iv access or injection of medications.  ••Pulses can also demonstrate differences in strength and regularity. To obtain a pulse apply light  pressure to any of the many pulse sites which will cause a switch to be activated and a computer generated pulse will appear, at the same time recording the event of the pulse being checked into the debrief log. SpO2 finger probe provides enhanced realism for the the care provider by simulating the use of an actual pulse oximeter probe.  •Bilateral femoral pulses are palpable as well as bilateral pedal pulses.

Computer controlled blood pressure can be measured on the left arm only, remember the right arm is for fluids, the left arm is the electrical arm complete with a speaker for ascultating the BP and radial and bracial pulse sites. Blood pressure can be taken automatically, auscultated or palpated. BP with Korotkoff sounds synchronized with pulse for auscultation and palpation.

Programable heart, lung and abdominal sounds available to provide realism to scenarios. Variable breathing rates, exhalation of CO2, chest rise and fall, and verbal response also help make this training a simulation that mimics reality. Heart sounds synchronized with ECG.

SimMan is capable of being used in training for giving SQ or IM injections. The simulator injection sites and iv veins can only have water infused into them, all medication vials in our ambulance contain water only. Also no substances can be introduced through the oral or nasal cavities, so in these cases the actions must be mimed.  It is ok to use airway adjuncts in nasal and oral passages though.

SimMan can be used for trauma scenarios, complete with moulage ranging from burns, broken bones, amputations, lacerations, punctures, and more.

SimMan can become "Sim-Woman" with the use of a wig and changing of the genitalia. Both male and female genitalia can be used for catherization proceedures.

SimMan can also be utilized for chemical, biological, and hazmat training.

(NOTE:  The SimMan a.k.a. "SimDude" ads seen here are spoof ads from Laerdal's 40th anniversary that they celebrated in 2007.)

Product benefits:

Product features:

• Full scale patient simulator which allows you to perform relevant ALS skills and scenarios.
• Interactive manikin which gives you immediate feedback to interventions.
• Simulated patient monitor with touch-screen technology
• Simulator utilizes software generating automatic debriefing, based on the event log synchronized with video pictures, which provide immediate, detailed feedback on performance to learners.
• Patented airway system allows accurate simulation of all relevant difficult airway management scenarios.
• Realistic practise of chest tube insertion
• Needle and surgical cricothyrotomy
• Bronchial tree is anatomically accurate in size, colour and texture and features the accurate anatomical landmarks necessary to facilitate realistic fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

SimMan Software:

• Simulated patient monitor can provide snap shot of x-ray, 12-lead ECG and trends.
• SimMan software comes with pre-programmed scenarios; or others can also designed and saved as new patient cases.