Evaluation of Foreign Body Airway Obstruction Interventions Through Simulation

Summary

WHY IS THIS STUDY BEING DONE? Little is known about the best treatment for choking. New airway clearance devices like LifeVac© and Dechoker© are being sold to help a choking person. Researchers do not know how well they work compared to other techniques like abdominal thrusts or back blows.

The purpose of this research study is to see how well bystanders can use the choking techniques.

RESEARCH QUESTION Among laypersons, which FBAO intervention (abdominal thrusts, LifeVac©, or Dechoker©) results in the greatest proportion of FBAO relief within one-minute?

PARTICIPANTS Adults aged 18 years or greater.

INTERVENTIONS View a video of each choking intervention, and then complete a choking scenario where participants will try to relieve an airway obstruction on a simulation mannequin. The three interventions are: LifeVac, Dechoker, and Abdominal Thrusts. Participants will be invited back between 90-120 days to repeat the scenarios to assess retention.

Conditions

• Choking
• Airway Obstruction

Interventions

OTHER

Dechoker

Participants will be shown a short educational video for each intervention. A research assistant acting as an instructor will be present to answer any questions that the students have about each of the techniques. After training of all three techniques is complete, participants will be asked to respond to a choking scenario, using an assigned technique (the first one in their randomized order). Participants will use a mannequin (Choking Charlie, Laerdal Medical AS, Stavanger, Norway), with a simulated food bolus placed per manufacturer's directions, to complete each scenario. Participants will have up to four minutes to complete the intervention. Each participant will repeat the two more times so that they attempt each intervention.

OTHER

LifeVac

Participants will be shown a short educational video for each intervention. A research assistant acting as an instructor will be present to answer any questions that the students have about each of the techniques. After training of all three techniques is complete, participants will be asked to respond to a choking scenario, using an assigned technique (the first one in their randomized order). Participants will use a mannequin (Choking Charlie, Laerdal Medical AS, Stavanger, Norway), with a simulated food bolus placed per manufacturer's directions, to complete each scenario. Participants will have up to four minutes to complete the intervention. Each participant will repeat the two more times so that they attempt each intervention.

OTHER

Abdominal Thrusts

Participants will be shown a short educational video for each intervention. A research assistant acting as an instructor will be present to answer any questions that the students have about each of the techniques. After training of all three techniques is complete, participants will be asked to respond to a choking scenario, using an assigned technique (the first one in their randomized order). Participants will use a mannequin (Choking Charlie, Laerdal Medical AS, Stavanger, Norway), with a simulated food bolus placed per manufacturer's directions, to complete each scenario. Participants will have up to four minutes to complete the intervention. Each participant will repeat the two more times so that they attempt each intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• University of Calgary

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-08-07

Primary Completion

2025-06-30

Completion

2025-12-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations