The purpose of the study was to investigate the intuitive use of airway devices by first-year medical students as well as the effect of a simple, but well-directed training programme. Retention of skills was re-evaluated six months thereafter. Methods The insertion of a LMA-Classic and a LMA-Fastrach performed by inexperienced medical students was compared in an airway model. The improvement on their performance after a training programme of overall two hours was examined

afterwards. Results Prior to any instruction, mean time to correct placement was Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical 55.5 ± 29.6 s for the LMA-Classic and 38.1 ± 24.9 s for the LMA-Fastrach. Following training, time to correct placement decreased significantly with 22.9 ± 13.5 s for the LMA-Classic and 22.9 ± 19.0 s for the LMA-Fastrach, respectively (p < 0.05). After

Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical six months, the results are comparable prior (55.6 ± 29.9 vs 43.1 ± 34.7 s) and after a further training period (23.5 ± 13.2 vs 26.6 ± 21.6, p < 0.05). Conclusion Untrained laypersons are able to use different airway devices in a manikin and may therefore provide a secured airway even without having any detailed background knowledge about the tool. Minimal theoretical instruction and practical skill training can improve their performance significantly. However, refreshment of knowledge seems justified after six months. Background Mortality of "sudden cardiac death" (SCD) in Europe runs up to 375.000 patients per year Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical [1] and is in most cases caused by acute (cardiac failure) coronary syndromes. To prevent secondary hypoxic damage to the brain and other Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical vital organs due to respiratory failure, it is of paramount importance to assess and control the airway. Several devices have been recommended helping to keep the airway open [2]. While still bringing out the "gold-standard" with the tracheal tube, it has already been shown before that the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and the Combitube are possible alternative tools. In comparison to bag-valve facemask

ventilation, they may firstly reduce the risk of gastric regurgitation and pulmonary aspiration and secondly Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical allow more effective ventilation on the other hand [3-5]. In case of emergency, first responders mostly belong to non-physician personnel. Therefore particular training programmes should be held to meet the requirements of this specific target group. It is essential to teach and train basic life support not only with mouth-to-mouth- or bag-valve-facemask-ventilation Brefeldin_A but also with integrated airway management. Because of that a training concept is supposed to be phosphatase inhibitor applied and evaluated on its educational quality. Although several data has already demonstrated a safe use of different LMA by inexperienced personnel [6-8], there is no evident consensus regarding length and content of such a training concept by this time. The insertion of a laryngeal airway might actually be taught within a simple but well-directed training concept.