The Casserole Perimortem Caesarean Section Model

Abstract

Audience: PGY 1-4 Emergency medicine residents, PGY 1-4 OB/Gyn residents and medical students intending to pursue these specialties. Introduction: Perimortem Caesarean sections (PCS) are infrequently occurring emergencies with far reaching repercussions for two patients (the fetus and the mother)1. Emergency physicians and trainees should know the theory and practice of this life saving procedure. PCS have traditionally been taught to residents in didactic lecture formats. Residents rotating on Labor and Delivery are further required to attend cesarean deliveries as a means of achieving competency in performing this procedure. However, the procedural technique of PCS is different from scheduled or even emergency caesarian sections. A review of partial task training models has illustrated a relative paucity of easily reproducible and standardized PCS models2. Thus, we developed an easily reproducible, low cost high-fidelity PCS model to train emergency medicine residents and other trainees. Objectives: To provide competence training for the perimortem caesarian section procedure. Methods: The PCS casserole model is a partial task trainer that has been designed with an aluminum turkey pan as a base, a gravid uterus designed from insulation foam and “Syn-Skin,” a subcutaneous layer made from gelatin and skin-colored latex. A baby doll simulates a fetus inside a turkey roasting bag with some plain water to simulate amniotic fluid.

Keywords

• Emergency Medicine/Obstetrics-Gynecology
• perimortem Caesarian Section