School of Medicine Participates in STEM Fest 2023
The School of Medicine brought a high-fidelity human patient simulator to STEM Fest 2023, which was held at the Caesars Superdome earlier this quarter. The life-size mannequin blinks, breathes and responds as a human patient would. Faculty, staff and student volunteers helped the K-12 students hear heart and lung sounds as they interacted with their “patient.” Participants learned about what is inside the body as medical students showed and explained the function of human anatomical specimens.
Participation in STEM Fest is part of LSU Health New Orleans’ year round outreach efforts to K-12 students. LSU Health New Orleans' pipeline programs build upon their interest in science, and also show young people the sophisticated resources available at a university right here at home.
The medical school was joined by faculty and students from the Schools of Nursing, Allied Health Professions, and Public Health who showed youngsters how germy their hands are with a "glow germ" tool and then the difference using a hand sanitizer makes. Older students were taught how to take and read blood pressure. Cardiopulmonary Science faculty and students demonstrated negative pressure and positive pressure breathing using a pig lung encased in a Plexiglas box model. Students used a resuscitation AMBU bag attached to an adapter on top of the Plexiglas box, which is in communication with the pig lung, to provide positive pressure breathing. They used a 3-liter syringe attached to the Plexiglas box to create negative pressure around the lung (mimicking intrapleural pressure) for negative pressure breathing. Participants had the opportunity to place an oral endotracheal tube in a mannequin head and then provide positive pressure breathing with a resuscitation AMBU bag. Participants were also taught about healthy eating with a MyPlate display where participants designed their own healthy meals by applying food cut-outs onto the plates.