Stress Testing the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory: A Novel Use of In Situ Simulation to Identify and Mitigate Latent Safety Threats During Acute Airway Management.

INTRODUCTION: Although uncommon, cardiac arrests in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) are often catastrophic and likely to increase with rising case complexity. In situ simulation (ISS) has been used to identify latent safety threats (LSTs) in inpatient units but has not yet been studied in the CCL. METHODS: Three Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles leveraging ISS were conducted focused on acute airway management. Data collected through debriefs focused on (1) airway management, (2) equipment availability, and (3) interdepartmental communication. The LSTs were subcategorized and plotted on the Survey Analysis for Evaluating Risk (SAFER)-Matrix. A SAFER score was calculated based on quantifying the likelihood of harm, scope, and the number of times a threat was identified during simulation. Time to definitive airway was collected as a secondary measure. Interventions were developed using cause and effect and driver diagrams between PDSA cycles. RESULTS: Eleven total simulations through 3 PDSA cycles were conducted between January and December 2021 (5 in PDSA 1, 4 in PDSA 2, and 2 in PDSA 3). One hundred one LSTs were identified with 14 total subcategories. The mean SAFER score decreased from 5.37 in PDSA 1, to 2.96 in PDSA 2, and to 1.00 in PDSA 3. Bivariate regression analysis showed a decrease in SAFER score of 2.19 for every PDSA cycle ( P = 0.011). Ordinary least squares regression had a decrease of 1.65 in airway-related threats every PDSA cycle ( P < 0.01) as well as an increase in intubation time of 35.0 seconds for every 1-unit increase in communication threat identified ( P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: This study successfully leveraged ISS and existing quality improvement initiatives in the CCL, resulting in a decrease in airway-related threats as measured through simulation.

Interprofessional In Situ Simulation to Identify Latent Safety Threats for Quality Improvement: A Single-Center Protocol Report.

In situ simulation has frequently been used to improve team performance and provide an opportunity for the practice of critical skills and identify latent safety threats, which are undetected risks that may lead to adverse outcomes. However, the use of known quality improvement tools to prioritize and mitigate these safety threats is an area requiring further study. Over the course of 9 in situ simulations of a pediatric shock case, postcase debriefs were held to identify latent safety threats in an emergency department and a mixed pediatric and adult inpatient unit. Latent safety threats identified included structure-related threats such as inability to locate critical equipment, knowledge-based threats relating to rapid intravenous fluid administration, and communication-based threats such as lack of role designation. Identification of latent safety threats in the health care environment may assist clinician leaders in mitigating risk of patient harm. The protocol described may be adopted and applied to other critical event simulations, with structured debriefing used as a tool to identify and mitigate threats before they affect the patient.

Use of the Donabedian Model as a Framework for COVID-19 Response at a Hospital in Suburban Westchester County, New York: A Facility-Level Case Report.

The purpose of this facility-level case report was to describe our facility's leadership process of applying the Donabedian model to structure an early response to the coronavirus disease pandemic relative to emergency care. Using the Donabedian model as a guide, both structure and process changes were implemented to maintain high-quality clinical outcomes as well as ED staff safety and engagement. Rapid changes to the model of care, both architecturally and through the expansion of universal precautions through personal protective equipment, created the foundation for what was to follow. Clinical, service quality, and staff safety outcomes were evaluated to demonstrate that the collaborative changes that follow a known process improvement model can be used to address the coronavirus disease pandemic. Further study is needed to compare the outcomes of this facility-level case study with those of others to evaluate the success of the measures outlined.

Expression of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in the aged rat brain.

The mitochondrial flavoprotein apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) promotes cell death upon nuclear translocation or by impinging on mitochondrial respiratory complex-I activity. Because decreased complex-I activity is associated with brain aging, we investigated the expression and distribution of AIF in frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum of aged Long-Evans rat brains. We found that AIF was: (i) more abundantly expressed in striatum than in the other two brain regions, (ii) enriched in deep layers of frontal cortex and in the pyramidal cell layer of hippocampus, and (iii) overall mainly localized to mitochondria, but significantly more translocated to the nucleus in the deep layers of frontal cortex. Altogether, our data point to a difference in region 1 AIF expression patterns, and provide evidence for the involvement of AIF in the cell death of a subpopulation of cortical neurons in aged animals.