793 - Pediatric Emergency Scenario Training Through Low-Fidelity Simulations in a Resource Limited Outpatient Setting

Brian D. Novi, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Queens, NY, United States; Anita Martin, NA, New Town, NC, United States; Kelly Murphy, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Jane Cerise, Northwell Health Office of Academic Affairs, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Anita Pillai, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Ronak Patel, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Queens, NY, United States

Background: Acutely ill children who present to their primary physician may need timely escalation of care above what the office can offer, especially in limited-resource settings (LRS). Training in emergency preparedness may enhance knowledge and comfort of primarily non-pediatric practitioners to provide timely, high-quality care. We used low fidelity simulations to prepare providers to triage children and begin treatment or escalate care in LRS.

Objective: To evaluate the comfort of recognition and management of common pediatric emergencies through simulation in a limited resource setting.

Design/Methods: Using pre- and post- simulation surveys, we measured comfort level with management of 3 common pediatric emergency scenarios and use of equipment common in an office setting. Comfort in identifying signs and symptoms of specific pediatric emergency scenarios and comfort in management of these scenarios was assessed. Simulated cases were presented once during a 2 hour training session to 10 non-pediatric providers, such as family medicine physicians, NPs, nurses and MAs at the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) Nation clinics in New Town, White Shields, Twin Buttes, and Parshall, North Dakota.

Results: Participants in the simulations were similar in having previous education on anaphylaxis, febrile seizure, and respiratory distress. Providers had statistically significantly improved comfort in identifying signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis (p=0.004), febrile seizures (p=0.004), and respiratory distress (p=0.008). Providers also showed statistically significant improvement in their comfort in managing febrile seizures (p=0.004), and respiratory distress (p=0.008).

Conclusion(s): Using low-fidelity simulations of common pediatric emergency scenarios that may present to providers in outpatient LRS, we were able to improve non-pediatric providers’ comfort levels in identifying signs and symptoms as well as management of anaphylaxis, febrile seizures, and respiratory distress in pediatric patients. These findings are important as this easily adaptable, low-resource and low-fidelity curriculum can provide an educational foundation to improve pediatric care in LRS around the world.

Table 1
Table 1.pdfChange in comfort in identifying signs and symptoms

Table 2
Table 2.pdfChange in comfort in management

Table 1
Table 1.pdfChange in comfort in identifying signs and symptoms

Table 2
Table 2.pdfChange in comfort in management