Animal rights supporters flood University of Michigan with complaints over Survival Flight training
A University of Michigan Survival Flight jet.
Courtesy | University of Michigan
So many people called that the university set up a separate phone menu to screen them, the Daily said, but university officials do not plan to change their practices.
Since the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals first filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in September, the university has steadfastly maintained that its use of animals in the training course is necessary and it has nothing to be ashamed of. The USDA later cleared the use of the animals in the course
Survival Flight is a transportation service for patients in need of critical care. It’s available 24 hours a day, by helicopter, plane or specialized ground transportation. PETA alleged that in the training course students put plastic tubes into pigs' hearts and down cats' throats.
PETA has said the university should use simulators instead of live animals, but U-M says simulators are not an adequate substitute for live animals.
Comments
Matt Cooper
Fri, Dec 10, 2010 : 7:02 p.m.
@alan: You obviously haven't a clue what you're talking about. First things first. 1. The anatomy of certain anmals, including pigs and cats, is very, very similar to the anatomy of certain parts of the human anatomy. This why it is very common for surgeons to use pig heart valves, for instance, to replace damaged human valves. The similarities are astounding. The rib cages are also extremely similar and this is why chest tube placement is often practiced on pigs rather than humans. I'm sure with all her experience your wife knows this. 2. The correct term is not tracheal intubation, it is endotracheal intubation. 3. In spite of how wonderful you think a simulator is, there is no simulator that can teach one how to properly intubate in an ambulance on the highway doing 75 on the way to a hospital. There is also no simulator that can train one how to intubate in an aircraft (helicopter) doing 160 knots in high wind. There is no substitute for doing it on a real live human being. Pigs and cats would be the next best thing. 4. Working with only animals, I wouldn't want your wife performing an emergent intubation on me either. Until you have either performed an intubation, or at least have seen one up close, you have no clue about how difficult it can be and how high the potential is for things to go wrong. 5. Learn a bit about intubation before you think yourself an expert. Endotrachealintubation is not used for inhaled anaesthesia. It is used for oxygen delivery to lungs that cannot function on their own, be it through a traumatic injury or a disease process ie. airway protection), and anaesthesia is delivered intravenously. Secondly, all inhaled anesthetics are used by anesthesiologists in an operating room setting. They are not commonly used on survival flight or even on an EMT ALS unit.
bunnyabbot
Fri, Dec 10, 2010 : 4:07 p.m.
I also do think about their message, however after years of listening to PETAs messages and seeing thier tactics I can honestly say I hate PETA. I love animals, I don't want them to be abused, however I eat animals, I have no problem with hunting and I have no problem with animals being used in this instance for the better good of trauma care for people.
Ferox
Fri, Dec 10, 2010 : 1:20 p.m.
Why shoot the messenger? If you don't like PETA, then listen to medical professionals around the country, who are overwhelmingly in favor of using simulators over animals. The medical boards and licensing bodies all approved the use of simulators years ago, and almost all medical schools in the nation are following this recommendation, acknowledging the simulators' superiority over the use of animals, whose anatomy is VERY different from humans. We all want the best-trained medical professionals, so let's train them using what the medical profession agrees is the best method.
AA
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 9:24 p.m.
We all know, this is not right to do to animals.
Terrin
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 3:48 p.m.
It is sad the University of Michigan has taken this approach. PETA's position is that the use of live animals is not necessary, so it is cruel to use them. Being that U of M is the only school to use live animals should tell you something.
A2RN
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 3:39 p.m.
"PETA alleged that in the training course students put plastic tubes into pigs' hearts and down cats' throats." Do we even know for a fact that these are the procedures the animals are being used to practice? However, I can think of few procedures that a live animal would be a helpful substitute for a live human...
jj
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 3:11 p.m.
Perhaps PETA would consider sending some of their nude models for a protest?
Tom Joad
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 3:09 p.m.
As an avowed cat lover I'm repulsed by the practice of snaking a tube down his throat in the interest of training. No cat deserves this level of intrusive trauma.
DBH
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 3:04 p.m.
Bunnyabbot: You understand that your dislike for PETA should be irrelevant in considering the message they are trying to convey? Consider the message, not the messenger.
ezbngreen
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 3:04 p.m.
I agree with PETA: Don't use animals especially when we have plenty of convicted life sentence no parole criminals. Use humans there is no substitute.
bunnyabbot
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 2:19 p.m.
I hate Peta, there only tactic is to try to bully people. I hope Survival Flight stands there ground, the best thing for them to do is just ignor Peta and go about their business.
Speechless
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 1:25 p.m.
The excerpt below comes from a recent report in the A2 Journal related to Iggy Pop's public support for U-M animal rights activists: The Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association, the national organization that represents professional flight nurses in the field, endorses the use of human-like simulators over animals in survival flight courses around the country. They claim nearly all training facilities nationwide have phased out the use of animals. As far as I can tell (correct me if wrong) this rather relevant point of information has thus far been left out of every on annarbor.com article about the controversy in question. A bottom line here is that at one or more U-M instructors use a training method that is not only physically cruel and positively medieval in ethics, but which is also regarded as outmoded by their own professional association. In this case it's the instructor(s) who willfully act as contrarians, not PETA.
DBH
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 1:08 p.m.
For those commenters who feel that the use of animals for trauma is necessary or even useful, I refer you to http://www.pcrm.org/resch/atls/index.html and http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4624237 a broadcast on NPR from over 5 years ago. Simulators have advanced since then and probably have decreased in price. UM's contention that animals are necessary for such training is belied by the fact that most training programs do NOT use them anymore since simulators are available and provide a better model for human rescue. Just because the animals are alive does not make them a better alternative than the simulators; their anatomy (especially head and neck anatomy) is very different from that of humans. The simulators replicate human anatomy extremely well.
Elena
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 12:53 p.m.
It is not just PETA that is opposing the unnecessary use of live animals in medical training. Medical professionals have disagreed with the University of Michigan, and other schools around the country have changed their methods. What a drag to have such heartless and ignorant "friends and neighbors" - heartless that they believe these animals lives are not worth saving if possible to do so and ignorant about the fact that it is not necessary to use them for this training (and frankly, not "best practices" either!).
Concern 1
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 12:41 p.m.
I am all for the fair treatment of animals - however, if it were not for this type of use with animals to ensure things wont go wrong, my wife and others within my family would not be alive today - in a heartbeat I would give up the family cat, dog, pig, whatever animal, to save a loved one
alan
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 12:40 p.m.
@ Matt Cooper While it is true that our knowledge of many medical procedures is due in part to animal experimentation, it is not the case for tracheal intubation. These techniques were perfected on humans as a more efficient way of delivering and controlling inhaled anesthesia.
alan
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 12:15 p.m.
I think that the comments are missing the point. This should not be a discussion of animal rights, nor is this about medical research in vaccine development, etc. This is about adequate training in vital, lifesaving emergency medical procedure. I have been married to a practicing veterinarian for 15 years and I assure you that pigs and cats are not in any way an adequate anatomical or physiological representation of a human being. Cats are in fact so unique that feline medicine is now a recognized board specialty. While my wife may be extremely proficient at passing a 28 gauge needle in a cats foreleg or a pigs femoral artery I would not want her on a survival flight if my life depended on it. I most certainly wouldn't want to be the patient of an EMT who only knows cats and pigs and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone else. Medical simulators are so incredibly advanced that they can even be used for training in surgical procedure and it is my understanding that they are used effectively in a great deal of emergency training. My fear is that the reason that U of M is choosing to use animals is that it is cheap compared to the cost of a quality simulator. If this is the case then the university should be ashamed. This is one of the finest medical schools in the world and they should be doing everything within their power to remain so. They should not be compromising the health and survival of those who depend upon them.
cinnabar7071
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 12:12 p.m.
Volunteers? Just as I thought, these people need to get jobs and worry more about their own lives. U of M can train on all the pigs they want and I will be happy to dispose of the bodys in my BBQ. Get a life PETA!
Matt Cooper
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 12:06 p.m.
If these PETA people are so much into playing hero and saving a few cats and pigs from being intubated, my humble suggestion is that they volunteer for the practice session themselves. I'm sure the most accurate and emergency-simulating way to practice oral and nasal intubation is on an actual human patient, but since we can't go out and randomly sedate and intubate people off the streets, I'd say PETA people should volunteer. And if they refuse, I would remind tham that one of the major reasons we know how to sucessfully intubate (ergo save human lives) is because of research and practice done on animals. And I'd be willing to bet that in a life-saving situation where one of the PETA people might need to be emergently intubated they would quickly forget all about all those poor little kitties to save their own lives.
King
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 11:27 a.m.
People Eating Tasty Animals!!! My family does all you Peta members a favor every year. We harvest about 3 or 4 whitetail deer, (and eat them) that way you don't smash up that pretty little foreign car that you drive around protesting! Focus your energy on something that will make this world a better place and maybe then you will feel complete, and excepted.
amlive
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 11:26 a.m.
Give me a break people. Everyone protesting this has to realize that most of them exist today only because of research done on animals in the past, vaccine development and production, etc. Without this, we would be living in a very different world. Really want to make a change, go to school and learn about medicine and technology. Go in to the field and develop training systems which are adequate for all circumstances (we've come a long way, but we're not quite there yet). If PETA really wanted to make a difference, they would be funding research for new medical systems and procedures to take the place of animal use, instead of advertisements and protests.
a2roots
Thu, Dec 9, 2010 : 11:08 a.m.
PETA needs to go away. There are more than enough pigs and cats to go around.