ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the usability, acceptability and trainee preference among three uterine tamponade for the management of refractory postpartum haemorrhage in a simulation setting. Methods We conducted a prospective simulation‐based pilot study among midwifery and medical students at a single institution. Participants received a didactic session on postpartum haemorrhage management before device testing. Using a postpartum uterine model, each participant sequentially rotated through stations trialling the CELOX PPH uterine haemostatic tamponade, the Bakri Postpartum Balloon and the XStat mini‐sponge uterine tamponade. Participants were timed during placement and removal and completed postsimulation surveys assessing assembly, placement, removal and overall difficulty, as well as device preference. Descriptive statistics and Friedman testing with Bonferroni correction were performed. Results A total of 40 midwifery and medical students completed the study. Participants rated the XStat device significantly easier to use compared to the CELOX and the Bakri ( p < 0.001). When asked which device participants would select for future practice, 90% chose the XStat, 7.5% chose the CELOX and 2.5% chose the Bakri. Preferences did not significantly differ by trainee type. Conclusion In a simulation‐based setting among trainees without established device bias, perceived ease of use strongly influenced tamponade device preference. Further implementation studies in real‐world settings are needed to evaluate how training, cost and resource availability influence device selection and uptake in the management of refractory postpartum haemorrhage. Together, these findings may inform future training strategies, device adoption and resource allocation decisions.
Sosanya et al. (2026) studied this question.