Prestan Manikin

What are the different types of Prestan products available?

• The Prestan Professional Adult Manikin. This manikin/s forms the basis of most trainers and RTOs simulation equipment. The adult manikin is an anatomically accurate manikin which has been designed with a high degree of realism to represent the torso of an average male. Each adult manikin has also been designed with a realistic neck tilt and chest so that the student or trainer can have a realistic chest rise and fall during CPR ventilation.
• The Prestan Professional Child Manikin. Much like the adult manikin this is a highly accurate first aid dummy which has been designed to replicate rescue breathes and compressions on an average weighted and sized child. The child manikin is designed with the trainer in mind offering a lightweight option as this manikin is only the Torso of the child.
• The Prestan infant manikin which has long been known as the most realistic best value infant manikin available. This full body manikin has articulating arms and legs and is fitted with a nappy. The child manikin allows for the correct hand position for compressions whilst still offering the ability to see a realistic chest rise and full during ventilation.
• The Prestan Ultralight manikins are a low weight durable manikin which offers a mobile alternative to the full range of Prestan manikins. The advantage of this range of manikin is the ability to nest each manikin in each other which allows for easy transport on planes and trains. The major disadvantage of this compared to the other range of Prestan manikins is that there is no feedback on the manikin itself.
• The Prestan Professional AED is the newest product on the Prestan market. Ideal for trainers this simulated AED/Defibrillator offers a highly realistic training device to ensure students and the public become comfortable with the thought of utilising an AED in a real life critical situation.

What feedback in terms of quality CPR is offered in the Prestan range?

The Prestan range of manikins have long been the chosen manikin for a high proportion of trainers due to the high quality and low cost CPR feedback offered on the manikin itself. Unlike a number of other manikin on the market the Prestan manikin offers real time feedback which allows students to make adjustments to their technique to ensure that they are inline with the specific guidelines.

The feedback for the manikin comes in the form of LED lights which are positioned on the shoulder for Adult and Child and on the nappy for the infant manikin.

The feedback for compression quality appears in the form -

• Red lights: these two lights indicate that the compression speed is less than 60 compressions a minute and that the student is required to dramatically increase their rate to ensure that there is increased survival outcomes.
• Orange lights: The Prestan manikin is a manikin which endeavours to create better CPR technique therefore the progression from the red light to the orange light indicates that the student is getting closer to the desired compression depth. Orange lights on either the shoulder or the nappy indicate that the student is achieving a compression speed of between 60-79 compressions a minute. Whilst this is better than the original red lights the student should really look to increase rate to increase survival outcomes.
• One green light: when a singular green light comes on this indicates that the rate being achieved on the manikin is between 80-100 compressions per minute. This rate is largely considered to be good CPR and there will be some level of cerebral perfusion based on this rate, however, the student should look for a slight increase in their rate to achieve the highest level of survival outcomes.
• Two green lights – This will only appear when the student if conducting CPR in line with American Heart Association guidelines of 100-120 compressions per minute. Students should aim to maintain this level of compressions for at least two minutes without fluctuating into any of the other colour bands to be confident they can achieve good CPR technique in an ongoing situation.
• Yellow lights: - This is a new feature of the Prestan first aid range. The appearance of these lights indicate that the user has exceeded the guidelines of 120 compressions per minute and should slow down to ensure that they do not lose the effectiveness of their CPR.

All of the Prestan Professional feedback occurs through the usage of LED lights which are run by a standard battery. The added advantage of this form of feedback is that it runs of very low power and therefore the batteries are not required to be replaced very frequently.

Are you required to use specific face shields and lung bags for the Prestan range?

The Prestan range of manikin have their own face shields and lung bags. The lung bags are designed to be extremely durable and not pop when inflated. Most instructors will look to change the lung bags after each session to ensure that there is no bacterial growth.

The face shields are uniquely designed to fit tightly on the face of the manikin and not slide around. The advantage of this tight fit is that during rescue breathes a tight seal will form and the user will be able to see an accurate and highly realistic chest rise and fall. The face shields are able to achieve this outcome through their unique design where they have hooks which form adhere around the ear of the manikins. Each student should be given their own disposable face shiled to ensure hygiene is maintained.

What packs do the Prestan manikins come in?

Each of the Adult, Child and Infant manikins are available in a singular pack and packs of four. The Prestan range also has a family pack which offers a cost-effective alternative for trainers which includes 2 Adults, 1 Child and 2 infants. The whole range of Prestan manikins are also available in Mentone Educational’s starter packs.