Practical training is critical for students learning life-saving techniques. It allows them to transfer learned skills from an online CPR course to a real-life situation with confidence. This type of training can be carried out in a variety of ways, including with the help of CPR training kits.
CPR is a procedure that helps save lives. It involves giving rescue breaths as well as chest compressions to those who are experiencing cardiac arrest. Together, these actions help oxygenated blood circulate throughout the body.
A CPR kit for training helps to realistically reenact CPR techniques. As a result, the user can get a feel for the depth and speed at which CPR should be administered, as well as when and how to perform rescue breaths. Because CPR training kits are an important part of CPR training, they must be chosen carefully.
Nowadays, a variety of CPR kits containing different manikins are available, but not all are equal. Knowing what to look for when choosing a CPR training kit will help you find one that’s right for your training programs.
The Target Group And Its Composition
Do you require a manikin that can simulate an adult, a child, or a baby during resuscitation? These patient types are subject to a variety of resuscitation procedures.
Using a manikin similar to the patient group is the most effective technique to imitate various situations. Additionally, manikins for dragging exercises, suffocation, and for obese people are available.
It’s also important to think about the delivery of the instructional materials (this is irrelevant if the training manikins remain in the same location). Consider lightweight and transportable CPR kits for training if the sessions take place in different locations and with various manikins.
A helpful strategy is to use a bigger manikin to teach while giving the students lighter torsos to use for practice. This will improve training, simplify transportation, and enable pupils to train with light torsos. Additionally, accessible are handy manikin CPR training kits for each of the categories.
Realistic Materials And Features
An advanced manikin can be told from a basic one by its material and internal structure. These elements will significantly affect how the student views the training by heightening the sense of realism.
Regardless of cost, all training manikins have resistance in the chest and airway and sternum. However, a manikin with a sprung interior will feel more realistic. Some models also include a stomach that expands if the right respiratory technique is not used.
CPR manikins made of hard plastic deteriorate more quickly than ones made of rubber-coated metal or soft plastic/PVC. Nevertheless, most modern CPR manikins provide a variety of choices for replacing damaged components. A basic manikin must be replaced when one of its components breaks.
Look for a latex-free manikin if you’re worried about allergic reactions, which can happen in some students.
Feedback And Measurement Options
The significance of feedback during the training of people who do resuscitation is being emphasised more and more in resuscitation recommendations. Today, it is unnecessary to make any guesses about the ideal compression depth, the volume of air to provide, or any other important CPR signs because they are all well established.
Manikins that include accessories and perhaps software can be crucial. However, the majority of resuscitation manikins are still stand-alone, which means they cannot communicate with a personal computer.
A clicker that delivers an audible tap at the proper compression depth or a strip of light that flashes a green signal at the proper depth and/or compression rate are two examples of feedback devices sometimes used. There are more measurement, feedback, and administration options if the manikin can connect to a PC. You will only be able to choose from a few companies that have that option, though.
CPR manikins that provide feedback help hone skills, but turning the input off and practising only by feel is also helpful. The pupil can practise on their own and determine whether they can continue functioning successfully without help by shielding or disabling the measurements.
Hygiene
Precautions to stop the transmission of infection are present in all PCR manikins. Each manufacturer uses a different technique, but the most typical is a lung bag that lifts the ribcage when breathing. The lung bag needs to be changed after each lesson or even after each student for hygienic reasons.
In reality, this is rarely carried out. Lungbag replacement is time-consuming and expensive. Before the next student may move on, the skin surrounding the lips and nose should be cleaned.
A hygienic barrier is also sometimes used. It’s a piece of plastic with a filter that allows air to be blown through it. This is inexpensive and simple to change. More precautions can be found under the category of hygiene and respiration. Soft-skin manikin face masks must be changed regularly.
The rubber ages and becomes brittle due to repeated cleaning and sanitising. Practising on worn-out materials is not hygienic. So, watch for any broken materials and replace them as quickly as possible.
You can clean the manikin and skin in warm water with a regular all-purpose cleaner, except for the contact surfaces. However, find out if you need to use a specific cleaning solution on your CPR manikins. After training, any electrode glue left on the skin can be scrubbed away with a soapy water solution and a gentle sponge.
Procedures
Manikins with fundamental features like chin lift, ventilation, chest compression, thorax elevation, palpable pulse, and stomach ventilation allow practising the skills needed for basic life support. Some of these options come in the most basic manikin kits. Advanced manikins have all of them.
Do you wish to practise advanced life support techniques such as intubation? Then pick a manikin with extra characteristics like an intubation head. There are also advanced manikins with an integrated heartbeat simulator. These are generally made for professional use, though they might occasionally be used with an AED.
Training with arms and legs might make it more realistic. See if you can stretch your manikin to include them! It might be wise to order them in addition to the manikin.
To Sum Up
Since you will be using your CPR kit for many years, choosing it carefully is crucial. Select only those characteristics that will aid in skill retention for your target audience. Take into account your training setting, your budget, how portable you need them to be, and the type of lung and feedback systems you need.
