Pharyngeal Anatomy of Manikins Differs from That of Live Patients

Manikins are widely used to teach airway management skills, but little is known about their anatomical accuracy. Using computed tomography data, researchers compared pharyngeal airspace volumes of four high-fidelity adult patient simulators (SimMan, SimMan 3G, HPS, and HAL) and two airway trainers (Laerdal and Ambu manikins) with those of 20 adult trauma patients. Patients with cervical spine collars, airway devices, Glasgow Coma Scale scores <8, dysmorphic facies, or obvious head or neck trauma were excluded.

Trauma patients were young (mean age, 28 years), with mean body-mass index of 24 kg/m² and Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15. For all measurements, trauma patients had significantly smaller mean airspace volumes than manikins, and measure…