CPR is a mainstay of any paramedic's career, and training on CPR manikins comes every two years whether we need it or not. When you do the job as long as I have, you get lots of opportunities to compare the training tools to real life. There is definitely a level of realism that comes with price. Whether realism is as important as cost is something you'll have to decide for your own training program.
1. Laerdal Resusci Anne
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This is the grandmother of all CPR manikins. In fact, it's the first manikin ever made. It's always been kind of funny to me that most CPR is done on old folks but the training was done on a woman in her 20's. Resusci Anne is available with or without arms and legs. Anne is a little complicated as far as the interior workings go, but it is realistic as far as the feeling of doing chest compressions and the way her chest expands with rescue breathing. Making a seal with CPR masks and performing a proper head tilt are pretty true to life as well. If only Anne were a little older...
2. Simulaids Fat Old Fred
...she'd look more like Fat Old Fred. This manikin from Simulaids is supposed to mimic a 50 year old overweight guy. I've never used one, so I can't say how realistic it is. However -- other than not having arms or legs -- he looks a lot more like the patients I've done CPR on over the years than Anne does.3. Simulaids "Brad" Adult CPR Manikin
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A good, basic CPR manikin. Brad is Simulaids's answer to Anne -- the basic needs covered, along with a carrying case.
4. Moore Medical Defibrillation/CPR Training Manikin
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If you're program includes an AED, this manikin is designed to work with a live defibrillator. On the positive side, this allows you to train to use the defibrillator without having a defibrillator trainer. On the negative side, training with a live defibrillator is a little scary for the instructor. To put things just a little more on edge, this manikin actually jumps when it gets shocked. I haven't used this one, but I'm sure it's a blast.
5. Nasco CPR Prompt Adult/Child Manikin
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Nasco's CPR manikin doesn't look very realistic, but the chest rises and falls with ventilations, which is important to let students know when they're doing the skill correctly. Some of the Simulaids products don't do that. One thing about these manikins I like is that the heads detach and can be washed in the dishwasher -- just be sure to tell everyone else in the house that the decapitated heads on the top rack are not real!
6. Simulaids Sani 3/2 CPR Manikins
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There is always the risk of getting poor quality when you buy packs like these, but Simulaids makes a pretty good product. This kit includes three adult/child manikins and two infants. In most cases, adult manikins can do double duty as child manikins (other than Fat Old Fred).
