Longitudinal effect of high frequency training on CPR performance during simulated and actual pediatric cardiac arrest.

STUDY AIM: To determine the impact of high-frequency CPR training on performance during simulated and real pediatric CPR events in a pediatric emergency department (ED). METHODS: Prospective observational study. A high-frequency CPR training program (Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI)) was implemented among ED providers in a children's hospital. Data on CPR performance was collected longitundinally during quarterly retraining sessions; scores were analyzed between quarter 1 and quarter 4 by nonparametric methods. Data on CPR performance during actual patient events was collected by simultaneous combination of video review and compression monitor devices to allow measurement of CPR quality by individual providers; linear mixed effects models were used to analyze the association between RQI components and CPR quality. RESULTS: 159 providers completed four consecutive RQI sessions. Scores for all CPR tasks during retraining sessions significantly improved during the study period. 28 actual CPR events were captured during the study period; 49 observations of RQI trained providers performing CPR on children were analyzed. A significant association was found between the number of prior RQI sessions and the percent of compressions meeting guidelines for rate (ß coefficient -0.08; standard error 0.04; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Over a 15 month period, RQI resulted in improved performance during training sessions for all skills. A significant association was found between number of sessions and adherence to compression rate guidelines during real patient events. Fewer than 30% of providers performed CPR on a patient during the study period. Multicenter studies over longer time periods should be undertaken to overcome the limitation of these rare events.

Simulation as a Dynamic Tool to Reorganize Pediatric Emergency Department Resuscitation During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic and Beyond.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has challenged hospitals and pediatric emergency department (PED) providers to rapidly adjust numerous facets of the care of critically ill or injured children to minimize health care worker (HCW) exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to iteratively devise protocols and processes that minimized HCW exposure while safely and effectively caring for children who may require unanticipated aerosol-generating procedures. METHODS: As part of our PED's initiative to optimize clinical care and HCW safety during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, regular multidisciplinary systems and process simulation sessions were conducted. These sessions allowed us to evaluate and reorganize patient flow, test and improve communication modalities, alter the process for consultation in resuscitations, and teach and reinforce the appropriate donning and use of personal protective equipment. RESULTS: Simulation was a highly effective method to disseminate new practices to PED staff. Numerous workflow modifications were implemented as a result of our in situ systems and process simulations. Total number of persons in the resuscitation room was minimized, use of a "command post" with remote providers was initiated, communication devices and strategies were trialed and adopted, and personal protective equipment standards that optimized HCW safety and communication were enacted. CONCLUSIONS: Simulation can be an effective and agile tool in restructuring patient workflow and care of the most critically ill or injured patients in a PED during a novel pandemic.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Simulation Curriculum: Vitamin K Deficiency in the Newborn.

Introduction: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends vitamin K prophylaxis at birth for all newborns to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB). Despite a lack of evidence for serious harms, barriers to prophylaxis, including parental refusal, are rising, as are cases of VKDB. Methods: This simulation involved an infant presenting to the emergency department who decompensated due to a cerebral hemorrhage caused by VKDB and was treated by pediatric and emergency providers. The case was incorporated into the fellow and division monthly curricula, and participants completed postsimulation surveys. The patient required a secure airway, seizure management, vitamin K, and a fresh frozen plasma infusion upon suspicion of the diagnosis, plus a coordinated transfer to definitive care. The case included a description of the simulated case, learning objectives, instructor notes, an example of the ideal flow of the scenario, anticipated management mistakes, and educational materials. Results: The simulations were carried out with 48 total participants, including 40 fellows and eight attendings, from five different training institutions over 1 year. In surveys, respondents gave overall positive feedback. Ninety-four percent of participants gave the highest score on a Likert scale indicating that the simulation was relevant, and over 80% gave the highest score indicating that the experience helped them with medical management. Discussion: This simulation trained physicians how to recognize and treat a distressed infant with VKDB. The case was perceived to be an effective learning tool for both fellow and attending physicians.

Procedural competency for ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter insertion for nurses in a pediatric emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if nurses can reliably perform ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter placement in children with a high success rate after an initial training period. A secondary aim was to analyze complication rates of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheters. METHODS: A database recorded all ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter encounters in the emergency department from November 2013 to April 2019 including the emergency department nurse attempting placement, number of attempts, and whether it was successful. Patient electronic medical records were reviewed for the time of and reason for intravenous removal.The probabilities of first-attempt successful intravenous placement and complication at successive encounters after an initial training period were calculated. These probabilities were plotted versus encounter number to graph best-fit logarithmic regressions. RESULTS: A total of 83 nurses completed a standardized training program in ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter placement including 10 supervised ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter placements. In total, 87% (3513/4053) of the ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter placed after the training program were successful on the first attempt. The probability of successfully placing an ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter increased as nurses had more experience placing ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheters (R2 = 0.18) and was 83% at 10 encounters.Twenty-five percent (904/3646) of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheters had complications, and there was no statistically significant relationship between the number of encounters per nurse and complication rates (R2 < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Nurses can reliably place ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheters at a high success rate after an initial training period. First-attempt success rates were high and increased from 67% to 83% for the first 10 unsupervised encounters after training and remained high. The complication rate was low and did not change as nurses gained more experience.

Ultrasonographic Guidance to Improve First-Attempt Success in Children With Predicted Difficult Intravenous Access in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We determine whether ultrasonographically guided intravenous line placement improves the rate of first-attempt success by 20% for children with predicted difficult intravenous access. Secondary objectives included determining whether ultrasonographically guided intravenous line placement reduces the attempt number, improves time to access or parental satisfaction, or affects intravenous line survival and complications. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized controlled trial conducted in an urban tertiary care pediatric emergency department that enrolled a convenience sample of children requiring an intravenous line and who were predicted to have difficult intravenous access according to a previously validated score. Participants were randomized to traditional or ultrasonographically guided intravenous line placement on first attempt and stratified by aged 0 to 3 versus older than 3 years. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-seven patients were enrolled and randomized to traditional intravenous line or to a care bundle with a multidisciplinary team trained to place ultrasonographically guided intravenous lines. First-attempt success was increased in the ultrasonographically guided intravenous line placement arm (n=83) compared with the traditional intravenous line arm (n=84) (85.4% versus 45.8%; relative risk 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5 to 2.4). There were fewer attempts in the ultrasonographically guided intravenous line placement arm than in the traditional intravenous line arm (median 1 versus 2; median difference 1; 95% CI 0.8 to 1.2) and a shorter time from randomization to intravenous line flush (median 14 minutes [interquartile range 11 to 20] versus 28 minutes [interquartile range 16 to 42]). A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that ultrasonographically guided intravenous lines survived longer than traditional ones (median 7.3 days [95% CI 3.7 to 9.5] versus 2.3 days [95% CI 1.8 to 3.3]). There was no difference in complications between the groups. Parents were more satisfied with ultrasonographically guided intravenous line placement. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonographically guided intravenous line placement in children with predicted difficult intravenous access improved first-attempt success and intravenous line longevity when conducted by a team of trained providers.