# Recomendation for CPR Manikin



## will (Aug 21, 2007)

For you CPR/AED instructors out there, I've been a CPR/AED instructor for a few months now, and keep meaning to get me a manikin so I can actually teach a class.  At a minimum I plan on at least one small class per year as I have staff members to keep trained on CPR/O2 and eventually AED (if they ever buy a unit)

I'm looking for something fairly inexpensive as I don't see much need to buy a $200-$600 Manikin (at least not yet)

I originally was looking at the economy line with the Simulaids Economy Sani-Mani.

Features I'd like to have is no sanitation/cleanup/lung changes if necessary.  It seems like a pain to have to change lungs/airways/faces for each student.  Though I don't have issue with doing so in the scheme of cleanliness and sanitary environment.  The course curriculum REQUIRES students use gloves and barriers for CPR practice (not a bad requirement) so that rules out most the sanitary issues since they have to use a barrier as if it were the real deal.

The major thing I don't like about the Simulaids Economy Manikin is that I believe there is no nasal passage way.. I think it only has a mouth, which is definitely not realistic.

Are there any others anyone can think of or recommend, or perhaps that do have removable faces/airways/lungs etc that I would not have to change, or only change after an entire class due to the use of barrier devices?  It would be nice to be able to do simple airways on the manikin such as OPA/NPA (for my own future use) but I'm sure that's a stretch in an inexpensive CPR manikin.


I'll likely want eventually a child and infant trainer, likely of the same make/model etc, for similarity's sake.  And will possibly purchase an AED trainer at the same time (would be nice to have an AED Manikin but the additional cost is quite high to not have to add a training strip to the manikin for pad placement.

Overall I'd like to spend <$200 on the manikin, Ideally closer to $150 or less ($100 or less would be nice) and Overall <$600 on all necessary supplies (Adult/Child/infant/AED)  I've also considered perhaps instead of a child getting some sort of choking trainer, as they seem like a major training advantage over doing Heimlich on a manikin with no response to the maneuver at all, where the choking victim has some sort of response with proper technique.


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## Airwaygoddess (Aug 21, 2007)

Hi!  I have found that the Laerdal " Little Annie" works very for up keep and cleaning.  Are you using disp. face shields for each student for mouth to month and pocket masks?  You should not have to change out the lungs with each student if you are using these devices until the end of each CPR class.  At the program where I teach, we give each student a manikin face shield for mouth to mouth and then when it comes to pocket face mask we have each student use a training valve on top of the face mask for mouth to mask. The pocket masks and training valves are decon after each class and the face shields are only one time use for classroom training.  Bound Tree Medical is the company we use for all of our live and training supplies.  www.boundtree.com  Pretty good prices and the sales people and support staff are great!    Hope this helps!


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## Airwaygoddess (Aug 21, 2007)

Only if you are using BVM's you do not have to change out the lungs, but if the students are breathing into them you must decon the inside and outside of the manikins and change out the lungs. Bleach and water are the best, cheap, easy to use and easy clean up.  1/4 cup of household bleach to 1 gallon of water, I will take off the faces, and soak the faces along with the trainer pocket face masks and trainer valves for about a half hour while I'm wiping down the rest of the manikins. (let air dry)  Rinse the faces, masks, and valves with clean water and then let air dry.  I also wipe down our training BVM's so they don't get " sticky".


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## will (Aug 21, 2007)

Ok, well our training agency requires the use of barrier devices (which is good training IMHO) so I'm guessing from your reply, I would be able to just decon the manikin after each class, change out the lungs, etc... and be good to go for the next one... instead of having to do it for each student.

I'd likely just use the standard disp. barriers since they are cheaper, but might get a set of the training valves for the nicer masks to allow students to try out the nicer mask... also the staff members I work with will likely be utilizing emergency O2 supplementing the mouth-to-mask, so they will be using pocket masks with O2 inlets (as soon as I pick them up some) so they would need the training pieces.

Thanks for the input... I was starting to consider either the Little Anne or the Simulaids Brad which I belive I've used before, and still has the removable mouth nose peices instead of entire face.


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## MRE (Aug 21, 2007)

Will,

I would try to find manikins used.  I happened to find that a Red Cross chapter was selling its old manikins for $50 each online.  They said that each one was functional, so I bought 2 Resusci Anne's and 2 Baby-Annie's.  They needed a good cleaning, but besides that they were just fine.  These models are still being sold now and go for $300-$500 each.  Replacement airways, chests and faces are also still available.  

I have found that many of the new manikins are not built as well as the older models and probably will not hold up as long.  

I would avoid the manikins that don't have a full torso, some I have seen are triangular shaped and do not allow proper placement of AED pads and will also not allow for abdominal thrusts if the technique is ever brought back for unconsious choking victims (it used to be taught).


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## Ridryder911 (Aug 21, 2007)

I don't change out lungs as well, nor does any of the institutions I teach with. I do provide facial barriers as making sure they are cleaned within reason between students. 

I would check out e-bay as well. I have seen some mannequins that are reasonable on there. 

Personally, I watch them ventilate on one mannequin and place airway and BVN, etc. Then perform only simulate ventilation's while performing CPR and other procedures on a full size mannequin. As long as they have demonstrated the procedure and since emphasis of rescue breathing has decreased in recent studies and emphasis. 

R/r 911


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## will (Aug 22, 2007)

Thanks guys, I checked Ebay a bit, and didn't see anything major, a couple decent looking Resussci Annies with a couple days left on them, could go for a good price, might not...

I'm always a bit leary of thEBay always worry I'll buy something, then get it, and feel ripped off... though the 2 items I've bought over the years I haven't been dissipointed, though one scared me as I got no response after I bought the item about it being shipped or anything, and didn't show up when I thought, then a few days later did (had me worried)

I'll try and keep my eye on the resusci anne's I'll have to look up the differences, but I know they are a higher end model than the Little Anne, seem to recall they can be upgraded in various ways.

Good to know the face shields do work so one doesn't have to change lungs... I was worried one still might need to change the lungs out...  Though the economy model I was looking at would likely work fairly well, I think the slightly nicer models such as the Little Anne offer some nice additional features.


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## MRE (Aug 22, 2007)

There are many variations on manikins; the only extra my Resusci Anne's have beyond most manikins is an anatomically correct neck (thyroid cartilage, jugulars and working corodid arteries powered by squeezing a bulb).  They are just the torsos and not the full body manikins.

I have used the Little Annie's and they seem fine, but are not as heavy duty as the Resusci Anne's.  I don't know how they hold up, maybe someone who owns some can comment.  If you are buying new and on a budget the Little Annie's are a good way to go.  I know many organizations that use them.  If buying used I would only go with the tried and true models because they are more likely to have a decent amount of life left in them.

As far as the lungs, if the manikins were used a lot during class you will end up with a decent amount of condensation inside of the lungs.  If this dries out before starting to grow mold mildew and you use breathing barriers in your class then you should be fine without changing them.  I just make sure the lungs are dry a few hours after class before I put the manikins away for any period of time.


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## BossyCow (Aug 23, 2007)

ARC requires new lungs for each student.  We did this with a ton of manikins, One for each student instead of sharing.  Personally, I'm changing out the lungs after each class, they are cheap and there can be moisture build-up from the use in class that in my location means mold and mildew.  

I take the lungs out after each class and replace them right before each new class, so the manikins are stored lung-less.


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## Markhk (Aug 30, 2007)

Hi Will, 
Are you an ARC instructor? If you are, you should know that the Simulaids Economy Sani-Mani are not approved for ARC course use. Our chapter didn't realize that until after we had like 40 of them. 

The other manikins like the Laerdal Little Anne are approved. Personally if I am going from class to class I like the Actar D-Fib manikins. (Not the Actar Infantry, which are also not approved for use by ARC.)


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## Mr. Anderson (Aug 30, 2007)

Markhk said:


> Hi Will,
> Are you an ARC instructor? If you are, you should know that the Simulaids Economy Sani-Mani are not approved for ARC course use. Our chapter didn't realize that until after we had like 40 of them.
> 
> The other manikins like the Laerdal Little Anne are approved. Personally if I am going from class to class I like the Actar D-Fib manikins. (Not the Actar Infantry, which are also not approved for use by ARC.)



I'm not an ARC instructor, but any explination why? Manikins are manakins. They all teach the mechanics of CPR...just curious.
Thanks.


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## ffemt8978 (Aug 30, 2007)

Moved to appropriate forum.


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## Markhk (Aug 30, 2007)

I agree with that sentiment Anderson. But the ARC decided to make sure all manikins met certain hygiene and procedural requirements. 

The Sani-Man, for instance, does not have a jaw thrust feature. Additionally, the manikin is not designed to be cleaned in the ARC required decontamination protocol. (It's hard to clean the back of its airway.) 

The Actar 9-1-1 manikins are similarly not approved because they can't do a jaw-thrust.


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## trackmedic (Aug 31, 2007)

I am sure the ARC could not come up with a compromi$e to get their approval logo on it.  If you are in it to make money, teach the AHA standard.  People only want to pay once every 2 yrs.


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## Aileana (Aug 31, 2007)

the Actars are fine if you're teaching a basic course, they're not too expensive, though they're a bit of a pain to get students to put together. If you're teaching more complex classes, or have a bigger budget, I'd say try the little Anne.


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