A group of 26 congressmen is pushing for legislation that would ban the practice by 2014 and replace the use of animals with human-like mannequins. Current practices include the use of monkeys to demonstrate reaction to chemical weapons, while pigs and goats are being used as subjects for practice of emergency medical operations.
The bill, which was introduced to Congress in December, is spearheaded by Congressman Bob Filner (D-Calif.).
“When learning to treat wounds on a human being, you should train using methods that replicate human anatomy,” said Filner during a Feb. 3 briefing in Washington, D.C.
He also noted that, with troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is “more important than ever” that medics, physicians, and servicemen are well trained to save lives on the battlefield.
Filner and other officials argue that the mannequins are better fit for training military field medics in treating human beings. The computerized mannequins can breath, salivate, urinate, and bleed. They also have a palpable pulse across the body, measurable vital signs, as well as responsive pupils.
Some of the mannequin versions are able to recognize drugs, and full-body models are made to resemble the size and weight of an average human being. According to Lt. Col. William Morris, M.D., who spoke at the briefing, approximately 95 percent of medical programs in academic institutions use mannequins instead of animals.
Current Training Methods
The military currently owns an estimated 1,000 units of mannequin simulators, according to Dr. Adam Levine, the director of human simulation and residency training at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
The mannequins owned by the military range in price from $30,000 to $250,000, and the military educators already “possess, use, and deploy” mannequin simulators, although animal subjects continue to be used in some courses, said Levine.
The military has argued that the use of animals comes from years of combat and training and pulls from the experience of medics and physicians who have been in the field.
The training courses “are constantly refined and improved based on types and severity of injuries reported," said Army Surgeon General, Lt. General Eric Schoomaker, in a July 24, 2009, written response to a congressman's questions about the practice.
According to Schoomaker, the use of animals is only one aspect of the training. The army uses several other methods, including lectures, videos, cadavers, and computerized mannequins in addition to live animals.
Schoomaker also noted that the combat trauma courses are currently taught only to health care providers, and not to servicemen. He added that the army is establishing several supplementary simulation training centers that will allow soldiers to “practice techniques and ensure that the lowest number of animals is used" through the use of "medical simulation."
