Identifying Gaps in Resuscitation Practices Across Level-IV Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe resuscitation practices in level-IV neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and identify possible areas of improvement. STUDY DESIGN: This study was a cross-sectional cohort survey and conducted at the Level-IV NICUs of Children's Hospital Neonatal Consortium (CHNC). The survey was developed with consensus from resuscitation and education experts in the CHNC and pilot tested. An electronic survey was sent to individual site sponsors to determine unit demographics, resuscitation team composition, and resuscitation-related clinical practices. RESULTS: Of the sites surveyed, 33 of 34 sites responded. Unit average daily census ranged from less than 30 to greater than 100, with the majority (72%) of the sites between 30 and 75 patients. A designated code response team was utilized in 18% of NICUs, only 30% assigned roles before or during codes. The Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) was the exclusive algorithm used during codes in 61% of NICUs, and 34% used a combination of NRP and the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Most (81%) of the sites required neonatal attendings to maintain NRP training. A third of sites (36%) lacked protocols for high-acuity events. A code review process existed in 76% of participating NICUs, but only 9% of centers enter code data into a national database. CONCLUSION: There is variability among units regarding designated code team presence and composition, resuscitation algorithm, protocols for high-acuity events, and event review. These inconsistencies in resuscitation teams and practices provide an opportunity for standardization and, ultimately, improved resuscitation performance. Resources, education, and efforts could be directed to these areas to potentially impact future neonatal outcomes of the complex patients cared for in level-IV NICUs. KEY POINTS: · Resuscitation practice is variable in level-IV NICUs.. · Resuscitation algorithm training is not uniform. · Standardized protocols for high-acuity low-occurrence (HALO) events are lacking.

Identification of latent safety threats using high-fidelity simulation-based training with multidisciplinary neonatology teams.

BACKGROUND: Latent safety threats (LSTs) are errors in design, organization, training, or maintenance that may contribute to medical errors and have a significant impact on patient safety. The investigation described in this article was conducted as part of a larger prospective, longitudinal evaluation using laboratory- and in situ simulation-based training sessions to improve technical and nontechnical skills of neonatal ICU (NICU) providers at a Level III academic NICU. METHODS: Simulations were performed in laboratory (4 scenarios per session) and in situ (1 scenario per session) settings with multidisciplinary neonatology teams. Facilitators and subjects identified LSTs during standardized debriefings immediately following each scenario After enrollment, facilitators classified LSTs into equipment, medication, personnel, resource, or technical skill. Pervasive team knowledge gaps were further subclassified into lack of awareness or understanding, procedure performed incorrectly, omission of necessary action, or inappropriate action. RESULTS: In a 19-month period of enrollment (August 2009-March 2011), 177 subjects of 202 NICU providers were trained in the laboratory, 135 of whom participated in the in situ sessions. In the laboratory, 22 sessions were completed, with 70 LSTs identified (0.8 LSTs per scenario). During the 16 in situ sessions, 29 LSTs (1.8 LSTs per scenario) were identified. The 99 LSTs were reported to NICU leadership, leading to 19 documented improvements. CONCLUSIONS: The NICU setting has a high rate of previously unidentified LSTs. Conducting in situ scenarios allows for the identification of novel LSTs not detected in the simulation laboratory. The subsequent clinical improvements made to the actual clinical care environment are the best objective evidence of the benefits of simulation-based multidisciplinary team training.

Development and Implementation of a Quick Response (QR) Code System to Streamline the Process for Fellows' Evaluation in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at a Large Academic Center.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Useful feedback and evaluation are critical to a medical trainee's development. While most academic physicians understand that giving feedback to learners is essential, many do not consider the components of feedback to be truly useful, and there are barriers to implementation. We sought to use a quick reader (QR) system to solicit feedback for trainees in two pediatric subspecialties (pediatric critical care and neonatal-perinatal medicine) at one institution to increase the quality and quantity of feedback received. METHODS: New valuations were modified from the existing evaluations and imported into online systems with QR code capability. Each fellow was given a QR code linking to evaluations and encouraged to solicit feedback and evaluations in a variety of clinical settings and scenarios. Evaluation numbers and quality of evaluations were assessed and compared both pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: There were increases in the number of evaluations completed for both the pediatric critical care fellows and the neonatal-perinatal medicine fellows. There was no overall change in the quality of written evaluations received. Satisfaction with the evaluation system improved for both faculty and fellows of both training programs. CONCLUSION: In our critical care units, we were successfully able to implement a QR code-driven evaluation for our fellows that improved access for the faculty and offered the ability of the learner to solicit evaluations, without compromising the number or quality of evaluations. What's new: Quick reader (QR) codes can be used by learners to solicit evaluations and feedback from faculty. They can increase the quantity of written evaluations received without affecting their quality.

Simulation Education for Preterm Infant Delivery Room Management at Community Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Preterm infants are at risk for hypothermia in the delivery room (DR). Hypothermia and community hospital delivery are factors associated with increased morbidities and mortality in preterm infants. Community hospital providers have less experience with preterm deliveries and thermoregulation methods in the DR. METHODS: Community hospital DR providers in Indiana completed a cognitive test evaluating preterm infant DR management. A simulation-based team assessment was evaluated by using a scoring tool. After debriefing, the simulation performance was repeated and rescored. Afterward, providers completed a cognitive knowledge posttest. Eleven to eighteen months later, sites were revisited with cognitive knowledge and team simulated scenarios reassessed. RESULTS: Twenty-five community hospitals with >400 multidisciplinary providers participated in the initial study visit. Average pre- and posttest scores were 48.8% and 94.1% respectively (P value <.001). Participants performed an average of 22.8 of 36 scoring items during a simulated preterm delivery including 4.4 of 8 thermoregulation related actions. Performance immediately improved in a statistically significant manner during the repeat scenario. When sites were revisited, participants performed an average of 26.7 of 36 scoring items including 6.1 of 8 thermoregulation actions during a simulated preterm delivery a statistically significant (P <.001) improvement from the initial visit. CONCLUSIONS: Simulation education regarding preterm infant DR management improved community providers immediate knowledge and skills and also follow-up performance at ∼1 year. In simulation, providers performed thermoregulation maneuvers more often and efficiently, critical to resuscitation because delays in thermoregulation can significantly adversely affect outcomes.

Development of Validated Checklists to Evaluate Clinical Specialists in Pediatric ECMO Emergencies Using Delphi Method.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a low-volume, high-risk modality of care. Clinical specialists (CS) who manage ECMO circuit emergencies vary in background and approach to circuit emergencies based on institutional training standards, leading to variation that may impact the quality of care. Validated checklists to assess CS performance are crucial to eliminate disparities and improve efficiency. This study focused on the development and validation of checklists to evaluate the clinical performance of ECMO CS in three ECMO circuit emergencies. A research team with diverse clinical background from our institution developed the first iteration of three ECMO emergency checklists: (1) venous air, (2) arterial air, and (3) oxygenator failure. A modified Delphi technique with a panel of 11 national content experts in ECMO was used to develop content validity evidence. Rating scales from 1 to 7 were used to evaluate each checklist item. The response rate for three rounds of Delphi was 100%. Items with mean score >4 were kept, and new item recommendations were added based on comments from the panel. The venous air, arterial air, and oxygenator failure checklists were revised from 10, 13, and 9 items to 12, 12, and 10 items, respectively. A Cronbach's α of 0.74 during the second round of responses indicated an acceptable degree of agreement. This study demonstrated content validation of three ECMO emergency checklists to assess performance of ECMO CS using a consensus-based Delphi technique. Future validity evidence should be acquired by implementing these checklists in the simulation environments.

Acute glial activation by stab injuries does not lead to overt damage or motor neuron degeneration in the G93A mutant SOD1 rat model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease where motor neurons within the brain and spinal cord are lost, leading to paralysis and death. Recently, a correlation between head trauma and the incidence of ALS has been reported. Furthermore, new invasive neurosurgical studies are being planned which involve inserting needles directly to the spinal cord. We therefore tested whether acute trauma to the spinal cord via a knife wound injury would lead to accelerated disease progression in rodent models of ALS (SOD1(G93A) rats). A longitudinal stab injury using a small knife was performed within the lumbar spinal cord region of presymptomatic SOD1(G93A) rats. Host glial activation was detected in the lumbar area surrounding a micro-knife lesion at 2 weeks after surgery in both wild type and SOD1(G93A) animals. However, there was no sign of motor neuron loss in the injured spinal cord of any animal and normal motor function was maintained in the ipsilateral limb. These results indicate that motor neurons in presymptomatic G93A animals are not affected by an invasive puncture wound injury involving reactive astrocytes. Furthermore, acute trauma alone does not accelerate disease onset or progression in this ALS model which is important for future strategies of gene and cell therapies directly targeting the spinal cord of ALS patients.