Observational cadaveric study of emergency bystander cricothyroidotomy with a ballpoint pen by untrained junior doctors and medical students

Emerg Med J. 2013 Apr;30(4):308-11
doi: 10.1136/emermed-2012-201317
Epub 2012 May 5

Andrew Neill [1], Philip Anderson [2]

[1] Anatomy Department, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
[2] Foundation Year 2 Doctor, Northern Ireland Deanery, UK

Correspondence to Dr A Neill, Level 1, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Pearse St, Dublin 2, Ireland

Contributors
AN conceived the study, performed most of the dissection and drafted the manuscript. PA aided with the dissection and compiled the results.

Objective

Apart from case reports and anecdotes, there are no published studies on the feasibility of using non-medical devices for emergency bystander cricothyroidotomy. This study evaluated the ability of non-trained junior doctors and medical students to place an emergency cricothyroidotomy on an embalmed cadaver using only a blade and a ballpoint pen.

Methods

Participants were junior doctors with no prior experience of surgical airways and second year medical students at the end of their head and neck anatomy course. Nine participants were asked to place an emergency cricothyroidotomy in an undissected embalmed cadaver using only a No 26 scalpel and a dismantled ballpoint pen (Papermate Flexigrip Ultra, external diameter 8.9 mm; internal diameter 7.0 mm). Times were recorded and direct visualisation by dissection was used to assess placement and complications.

Results

Nine participants performed a total of 14 separate cricothyroidtomies on separate cadavers. Landmarks were palpable by researchers in 10 of the 14 cadavers. Eight of 14 (57%) procedures were deemed successful. No major vascular injury occurred. Injuries to the thyroid and cricoid cartilages were common; four of 14 (29%) of these injuries were fractures.

Conclusions

In embalmed cadavers, inexperienced junior doctors and medical students with no prior training were able to place a successful cricothyroidotomy slightly more than half the time. It suggests that surgical cricothyroidotomy with a ballpoint pen and blade is a feasible option in extremis. It is unknown whether junior doctors from other specialties, such as emergency medicine, would perform better.

http://emj.bmj.com/content/30/4/308.abstract

Oral sex as infidelity-detection

Personality and Individual Differences
Volume 54, Issue 6, April 2013, Pages 792–795

Michael N. Pham, Todd K. Shackelford

Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA

Abstract

An evolutionary history of human female infidelity and consequent sperm competition may have caused the evolution of male counter-adaptations. The infidelity-detection hypothesis for oral sex proposes that men perform oral sex to gather information about their partner’s recent sexual history. We tested this hypothesis with data secured from 231 men in committed, sexual, heterosexual relationships. We found support for two derivative predictions: men at a greater recurrent risk of sperm competition expressed greater interest in, and spent more time performing, oral sex on their partner, even after controlling statistically for relationship length, relationship satisfaction, and sexual intercourse duration. The discussion addresses limitations of this research and highlights directions for future research, including distinguishing empirically the infidelity-detection hypothesis from alternative hypotheses for oral sex.

Highlights

► We test the idea that oral sex functions to detect partner’s sexual infidelity.
► Men with more attractive partners have more interest in performing oral sex.
► Men with more attractive partners spend more time performing oral sex.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886912005764