Quality of Resuscitative Care Provided to an Infant With Abusive Head Trauma in Community Emergency Departments: An In Situ, Prospective, Simulation-Based Study.

OBJECTIVES: Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a very common and serious form of physical abuse, and a major cause of mortality and morbidity for young children. Early Recognition and supportive care of children with AHT is a common challenge in community emergency department (CEDs). We hypothesized that standardized, in situ simulation can be used to measure and compare the quality of resuscitative measures provided to children with AHT in a diverse set of CEDs. METHODS: This prospective, simulation-based study measured teams' performance across CEDs. The primary outcome was overall adherence to AHT using a 15-item performance assessment checklist based on the number of tasks performed correctly on the checklist. RESULTS: Fifty-three multiprofessional teams from 18 CEDs participated in the study. Of 270 participants, 20.7% were physicians, 65.2% registered nurses, and 14.1% were other providers. Out of all tasks, assessment of airway/breathing was the most successfully conducted task by 53/53 teams (100%). Although 43/53 teams (81%) verbalized the suspicion for AHT, only 21 (39.6%) of 53 teams used hyperosmolar agent, 4 (7.5%) of 53 teams applied cervical spine collar stabilization, and 6 (11.3%) of 53 teams raised the head of the bed. No significant difference in adherence to the checklist was found in the CEDs with an inpatient pediatric service or these with designated adult trauma centers compared with CEDs without. Community emergency departments closer to the main academic center outperformed CEDs these that are further away. CONCLUSIONS: This study used in situ simulation to describe quality of resuscitative care provided to an infant presenting with AHT across a diverse set of CEDs, revealing variability in the initial recognition and stabilizing efforts and provided and targets for improvement. Future interventions focusing on reducing these gaps could improve the performance of CED providers and lead to improved patient outcomes.

Improving Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis Management in Community Emergency Departments Using a Simulation-Based Collaborative Improvement Program.

OBJECTIVES: The majority of pediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) present to community emergency departments (CEDs) that are less prepared to care for acutely ill children owing to low pediatric volume and limited pediatric resources and guidelines. This has impacted the quality of care provided to pediatric patients in CEDs. We hypothesized that a simulation-based collaborative program would improve the quality of the care provided to simulated pediatric DKA patients presenting to CEDs. METHODS: This prospective interventional study measured adherence of multiprofessional teams caring for pediatric DKA patients preimplementation and postimplementation of an improvement program in simulated setting. The program consisted of (a) a postsimulation debriefing, (b) assessment reports, (c) distribution of educational materials and access to pediatric resources, and (d) ongoing communication with the academic medical center (AMC). All simulations were conducted in situ (in the CED resuscitation bay) and were facilitated by a collaborative team from the AMC. A composite adherence score was calculated using a critical action checklist. A mixed linear regression model was performed to examine the impact of CED and team-level variables on the scores. RESULTS: A total of 91 teams from 13 CEDs participated in simulated sessions. There was a 22-point improvement of overall adherence to the DKA checklist from the preintervention to the postintervention simulations. Six of 9 critical checklist actions showed statistically significant improvement. Community emergency departments with medium pediatric volume showed the most overall improvement. Teams from CEDs that are further from the AMC showed the least improvement from baseline. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a significant improvement in adherence to pediatric DKA guidelines in CEDs across the state after execution of an in situ simulation-based collaborative improvement program.

Disparities in Adherence to Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis Management Guidelines Across a Spectrum of Emergency Departments in the State of Indiana: An Observational In Situ Simulation-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a common presentation to an emergency department (ED), with the majority presenting to community EDs. Adherence to clinical guidelines in these EDs can reduce morbidity and mortality. Few methods to describe practice gaps for DKA management have been reported. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that high-fidelity in situ simulation can be used to measure and compare the quality of the care provided to pediatric patients with DKA presenting to community EDs in the state of Indiana. METHODS: This observational study examined multiprofessional teams caring for a simulated pediatric patient who presented with DKA to community EDs. The primary outcome was overall adherence to pediatric DKA guidelines as measured by a validated performance checklist. A composite adherence score (CAS) was calculated using the sum of 9 checklist performance parameters. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the impact of ED volume and characteristics on the scores. RESULTS: A 49 multiprofessional teams from 13 sites were enrolled. Of the 252 participants, 26 (10.3%) were physicians, 143 (56.7%) registered nurses, 25 (9.9%) respiratory therapists, and 58 (23.0%) were other. The overall CAS for all sites was 55.6% (25th, 75th interquartile range, 44.4%, 66.7%). Excessive intravenous fluid boluses were given by 53.1%, whereas 30.6% and 26.5% incorrectly administered insulin and sodium bicarbonate boluses, respectively. Only 10.2% used an appropriate intravenous fluid rate, and 57.1% performed an hourly glucose. No significant difference in the CAS was found due to pediatric ED volume or presence of an inpatient pediatric service. CONCLUSIONS: Using validated in situ simulation; we revealed high variability in adherence to the pediatric DKA management guidelines at a wide range of community EDs. A statewide education initiative focused on decreasing variation and improving adherence to pediatric DKA guidelines is necessary for patient safety.

Improving Adherence to a Pediatric Advanced Life Support Supraventricular Tachycardia Algorithm in Community Emergency Departments Following in Situ Simulation.

BACKGROUND: Recognition and management of pediatric dysrhythmias is challenging for community emergency department (CED) providers, given their infrequent exposure to these cases. METHOD: A prospective, interventional study measured adherence of CEDs to pediatric supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) algorithm pre- and postimplementation of an in situ simulation-based collaborative program. CED teams' adherence was scored using a composite adherence score (CAS) based on the number of actions scored correctly on the performance checklist. RESULTS: A total of 74 multiprofessional teams from nine CEDs participated in simulated sessions. Of 367 participants, 12.3% were physicians, 62.1% were RNs, and 25.6% were other providers. The mean CAS improved from 57% to 71%. The ability to identify an SVT rhythm, stable versus unstable SVT, and the correct performance of synchronized cardioversion significantly improved. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated improvement in overall adherence of CEDs to pediatric SVT algorithm following a collaborative program in simulated setting. This approach could be adapted to improve the quality of care provided to children. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(9):404-410.].