Vortex Approach Trainer 1.2

This application is designed to support the training of clinical teams in the application of the Vortex Approach to airway management within a simulated environment. It is not intended for direct use in live clinical settings for airway management. Utilization of this tool presupposes familiarity with the core principles of the Vortex Approach, including the Emergency Surgical Airway (ESA) status, as well as proficiency with the associated technical skills.

Teams being introduced to the Vortex Approach can employ this application to systematically guide them through managing a simulated difficult airway, promoting structured decision-making and technical execution.

When selecting any non-surgical airway technique, users gain access to menus featuring prompts for specific optimization interventions pertinent to that technique. These prompts are organized under the five general categories of optimization strategies inherent to the Vortex Approach. Such cues aid staff in associating each category with the corresponding techniques necessary to achieve an "optimal attempt" at each of the three non-surgical methods. This structured prompting enhances the utility of the standard printed cognitive tool, making it more effective during training sessions.

After considering all interventions within a particular optimization category, that category can be marked as completed. When all five categories for a given non-surgical technique have been addressed, visual feedback occurs by greying out the corresponding airway technique on the Vortex graphic and escalating the ESA status. These visual cues are designed to help staff recognize the progression towards realistic management of airway failure, illustrating how multiple non-surgical techniques can be attempted in parallel. Additionally, they reinforce awareness of diminishing options and underscore the importance of preparing for an emergency surgical airway as escalation becomes necessary.

The "Green Zone" selection offers prompts focused on reoxygenation, resource coordination, and planning. Potential management strategies are broadly divided into those that can be executed within the Green Zone and those that necessitate returning to explore alternative pathways within the Vortex funnel.

The application incorporates voice prompts to model essential communication declarations aimed at enhancing team situational awareness throughout airway management procedures. These prompts can be disabled if desired, encouraging team members to practice articulating their own situational assessments and decisions. This feature aims to facilitate their transition from simulated training to real-world application, ensuring they are equipped to utilize only the printed cognitive tool effectively in clinical scenarios involving difficult airways.