Uses of simulation-based education for anesthesiology training, certification and recertification: A scoping review.

Objectives: To conduct a comprehensive scoping review focusing on published anesthesiology-specific training based on simulation to assess up-to-date uses of simulation-based education in anesthesiology training. Our goal was to establish a solid ground for building standardized and accredited curricula for simulation-based education in the specialty of anesthesia in the near future. Methods: We searched the PubMed, CINAHL and EMBASE databases on May 10, 2021 for relevant articles. We followed the five-stage scoping review methodology: identifying a research question, identifying relevant studies, study selection, charting the data, and synthesis of results. Results: Our initial electronic search identified 5609 potential articles. After abstract screening and removing duplicates, 636 articles were evaluated in full text for inclusion or exclusion. Based on this strategy, 283 articles were included in this review. We mapped the current practice of simulation in training and certification across different anesthesiology subspecialties. Conclusions: Significant effort has been placed into the use of simulation for training, certification, and recertification in anesthesiology. Future effort to develop simulation-based training that can be generalized to trainees in this specialty, similar to other fields such as aviation and space sciences, will enhance the standardization of training and hence patient safety.

The Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Cerebrovascular Accidents, Acute Coronary Syndrome, and Diabetic Ketoacidosis Visits the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study.

Objective This study aims to assess the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on acute coronary syndrome (ACS), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) visits the emergency department (ED). Methods We compared two groups of patients attending King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) ED diagnosed with one of the following ACS, CVA, or DKA; patients presenting from 21 December 2019 to 23 March 2020 and patients presenting from 23 March 2020 to 21 June 2020, representing COVID-19 pre-lockdown and during-lockdown period, respectively. The variables we analyzed were age, nationality (Saudi/non-Saudi), and gender. Results Our total sample size was 285 patient visits, ACS (n=130), CVA (n=98), and DKA (n=57). Results showed a statistically significant relationship between the number of patients with ACS and the period of visitation to ED (45.24% reduction, p-value <0.001), while CVA (18.5% reduction, p-value 0.312) and DKA (16% reduction, p-value 0.508) showed no statistically significant relationship. Conclusion A lockdown may be necessary to control a pandemic. However, it may carry potential collateral damage, such as a decrease and delay in the presentation of life-threatening conditions, which may lead to worsening outcomes. A clinical presentation of these conditions should warrant comprehensive evaluation by healthcare workers regardless of an ongoing pandemic while implementing infection control guidelines.