Handmade model for peripheral vascular access training

Abstract

Background

Vascular access is the procedure performed with greatest frequency in hospitalized patients. Simulation models are intended to minimize complications and combine technical and theoretical knowledge, offering a safe environment for training health professionals that avoids the ethical dilemmas of conducting initial training with patients. Many different training dolls have been developed to achieve this objective, but their high cost means they are not universally available, and it is common for unqualified health professionals to perform procedures on patients with no previous practice.

Objective

To develop a low-cost educational model for teaching and training peripheral vascular access.

Method

Peripheral access routes were reproduced using a polyethylene foam noodle and infusion kits, each with one extremity sealed off and the other connected to one of two 500 mL packs of saline, dyed red or blue. The packs were hung on a metal stand.

Results

The structure chosen for the model was similar to a simplified version of the anatomy of the forearm. The model proved to be practical for puncture and, because of its length, the same model can be punctured multiple times, facilitating training.

Conclusions

The model proposed here enables training of peripheral vascular access and is a low-cost option that can be used for educational purposes.

Keywords:
training by simulation; blood vessels; experimental development