Dear ferret fans: We thought you might be able to help us spread the word regarding the use of ferrets in endotracheal intubation (ETI) training. Recently, we received calls from a number of employees at St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Hospital in Hammond, Indiana who were extremely upset at being forced to practice intubation on ferrets. According to the complainants, those who took the class were brought "to the point of tears and trauma after these sessions." They also told us that the animals had to be destroyed because they were "so maimed" they could not survive. Because the nurses of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) refused to experiment on the ferrets, they were reportedly allowed to learn intubation in the emergency room. However, the respiratory therapists are still being forced to experiment on ferrets even though they will eventually learn to practice intubation in the emergency room as well. We wrote the hospital as did the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and asked them to use advanced patient simulators in place of ferrets. Human patient simulators mirror human anatomy, can be used repeatedly, and cost less than ferrets. To date the hospital has ignored our letters and calls. Please spread the word to the ferret community & ask them to write letters of protest to: Gene Diamond President St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare 5454 Hohman Ave. Hammond, IN 46320 fax: (219) 933-2585 Thanks for your help. Peter [Posted in FML issue 2578]