Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

Introduction: Emergent transvenous (TV) pacemaker placement can be life-saving, but it has associated complications. Emergency medicine (EM) educators must be able to teach this infrequent procedure to trainees.

Methods: We constructed a conceptually-focused, inexpensive training model made from polyvinyl chloride pipes and connectors, vinyl tubing, and a submersible pump. Cost of the model was $51. We tested the model with a group of 15 EM residents. We then asked participants to complete a survey reporting confidence with the procedure before and after the session. Confidence was compared using a Wilcoxon matched-pairs test.

Results: Confidence improved after the session, with a median confidence before the session of 2 (minimally confident; interquartile range [IQR] 1-3) and a median confidence after the session of 4 (very confident; IQR 3-4, p=0.001). All residents agreed that the model helped them to understand the process of placing a TV pacemaker.

Conclusion: Our TV pacemaker placement model was inexpensive and allowed for practice of a complex emergency procedure with direct visualization. It improved trainee confidence.