Airway Day 2021

All of the USF Emergency medicine residents were recently very fortunate to be able to take the Ron Walls’ The Difficult Airway Course in our simulation center, the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS).  Emergency medicine as a specialty loves airway management in general but I like to think that we take it up a notch here at USF, thanks in large part to our simulation director, Dr. Ryan McKenna. He goes above and beyond to ensure that we have all the resources we need to hone this vital skill set. Additionally I’d like to recognize Drs. Tershakovec, Wein, Beau, & Patterson for taking the time to get certified as instructors for the course!

We started out in lecture

But things quickly went to hands-on learning

We started with bag valve mask

This airway skill, while basic, is perhaps the most vital for all emergency providers

Next we turned to direct laryngoscopy

And from there we moved to video laryngoscopy

Over to Fiberoptic Intubation

And then to cricothyrotomies

USF EM residents practicing cricothyrotomies on pig tracheas while Dr. Wein supervises

The residents then applied their skills in a series of cases

Pictured is Dr. Dumas in the middle of a bougie-assisted cricothyrotomy

Last but not least, a little wellness

USF Emergency Medicine residents enjoying the brief wonderful period between Covid vaccinations and the rise of the delta variant

A huge thank you to all the staff that came together to make this wonderful day happen!

Post by Dr. Wesley Priddy, USF PGY-3 Emergency Medicine resident

Edited by Dr. Michael Weaver