Surgical cricothyroidostomy. Analysis and comparison between teaching and validation models of simulator models.

Objective: to compare the acquisition and retention of knowledge about surgical cricothyroidostomy by the rapid four-step technique (RFST), when taught by expository lecture, low fidelity and high-fidelity simulation models.

Methods: ninety medical students at UFPR in the first years of training were randomized assigned into 3 groups, submitted to different teaching methods: 1) expository lectures, 2) low-fidelity simulator model, developed by the research team or 3) high-fidelity simulator model (commercial). The procedure chosen was surgical cricothyroidostomy using the RFST.