TRAINING FOR THE USE OF THE LARYNGEAL MASK IN EMERGENCY AND RESUSCITATION SITUATIONS

It has been suggested that the laryngeal mask has a role to play in th e management of the airway during resuscitation both from cardiac arre st and possibly major trauma. Should it be introduced for this purpose , there will be a need to provide training for a very large number of paramedical staff. Currently training in advanced airway management te chniques involves live patient practice in theatres; clearly this syst em is already reaching a limit as paramedics in training often have so me difficulty in reaching the prescribed number of procedures. This pa per describes experience with a possible alternative utilising only cl assroom teaching.