Pericardiocentesis is rare but life saving procedure that all emergency physicians should be competent in performing. Improper technique can place patients at significant risk for iatrogenic injury. Proper training is needed to familiarize physicians with proper pericardiocentesis technique.

In order to facilitate training of this relatively rare procedure, a cadaveric pericardiocentesis model was developed. Described is a step by step procedure for creating a cadaveric model that can be used to train and evaluate providers in pericardiocentesis competency.

This unique teaching innovation can be utilized in a variety of settings to train providers, including those in resource limited environments. It has already been utilized in the training of emergency medicine residents in Thailand and in the United States.