Using rapid response system trigger clusters to characterize patterns of clinical deterioration among hospitalized adult patients.

BACKGROUND: Many rapid response system (RRS) events are activated using multiple triggers. However, the patterns in which multiple RRS triggers occur together to activate RRS events are unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify these patterns (RRS trigger clusters) and determine their association with outcomes among hospitalized adult patients. METHODS: RRS events among adult patients from January 2015 to December 2019 in the Get With The Guidelines- Resuscitation registry's MET module were examined (n = 134,406). Cluster analysis methods were performed to identify RRS trigger clusters. Pearson's chi-squared and ANOVA tests were used to examine differences in patient characteristics across RRS trigger clusters. Multilevel logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between RRS trigger clusters and outcomes. RESULTS: Six RRS trigger clusters were identified. Predominant RRS triggers for each cluster were: tachypnea, new onset difficulty in breathing, decreased oxygen saturation (Cluster 1); tachypnea, decreased oxygen saturation, staff concern (Cluster 2); respiratory depression, decreased oxygen saturation, mental status changes (Cluster 3); tachycardia, staff concern (Cluster 4); mental status changes (Cluster 5); hypotension, staff concern (Cluster 6). Significant differences in patient characteristics were observed across clusters. Patients in Clusters 3 and 6 had an increased likelihood of in-hospital cardiac arrest (p < 0.01). All clusters had an increased risk of mortality (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We discovered six novel RRS trigger clusters with differing relationships to adverse patient outcomes. RRS trigger clusters may prove crucial in clarifying the associations between RRS events and adverse outcomes and aiding in clinician decision-making during RRS events.

The associations between rapid response systems and their components with patient outcomes: A scoping review.

Background: While rapid response systems have been widely implemented, their impact on patient outcomes remains unclear. Further understanding of their components-including medical emergency team triggers, medical emergency team member composition, additional roles in patient care beyond responding to medical emergency team events, and their involvement in "Do-Not-Resuscitate" order placement-may elucidate the relationship between rapid response systems and outcomes. Objective: To explore how recent studies have examined rapid response system components in the context of relevant adverse patient outcomes, such as in-hospital cardiac arrests and hospital mortality. Design: Scoping review. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase were searched for articles published between November 2014 and June 2022. Studies mainly focused on rapid response systems and associations with in-hospital cardiac arrests were considered. The following were extracted for analysis: study design, location, sample size, participant characteristics, system characteristics (including medical emergency team member composition, additional system roles outside of medical emergency team events), medical emergency team triggers, in-hospital cardiac arrests, and hospital mortality. Results: Thirty-four studies met inclusion criteria. While most studies described triggers used, few analyzed medical emergency team trigger associations with outcomes. Of those, medical emergency team triggers relating to respiratory abnormalities and use of multiple triggers to activate the medical emergency team were associated with adverse patient outcomes. Many studies described medical emergency team member composition, but the way composition was reported varied across studies. Of the seven studies with dedicated medical emergency team members, six found their systems were associated with decreased incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrests. Six of seven studies that described additional medical emergency team roles in educating staff in rapid response system use found their systems were associated with significant decreases in adverse patient outcomes. Four of five studies that described proactive rounding responsibilities reported found their systems were associated with significant decreases in adverse patient outcomes. Reporting of rapid response system involvement in "Do-Not-Resuscitate" order placement was variable across studies. Conclusions: Inconsistencies in describing rapid response system components and related data and outcomes highlights how these systems are complex to a degree not fully captured in existing literature. Further large-scale examination of these components across institutions is warranted. Development and use of robust and standardized metrics to track data related to rapid response system components and related outcomes are needed to optimize these systems and improve patient outcomes.

Assessment of Brain Magnetic Resonance and Spectroscopy Imaging Findings and Outcomes After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest.

Importance: Morbidity and mortality after pediatric cardiac arrest are chiefly due to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Brain features seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) after arrest may identify injury and aid in outcome assessments. Objective: To analyze the association of brain lesions seen on T2-weighted MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and lactate concentrations seen on MRS with 1-year outcomes after pediatric cardiac arrest. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter cohort study took place in pediatric intensive care units at 14 US hospitals between May 16, 2017, and August 19, 2020. Children aged 48 hours to 17 years who were resuscitated from in-hospital or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and who had a clinical brain MRI or MRS performed within 14 days postarrest were included in the study. Data were analyzed from January 2022 to February 2023. Exposure: Brain MRI or MRS. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was an unfavorable outcome (either death or survival with a Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition, score of <70) at 1 year after cardiac arrest. MRI brain lesions were scored according to region and severity (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe) by 2 blinded pediatric neuroradiologists. MRI Injury Score was a sum of T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging lesions in gray and white matter (maximum score, 34). MRS lactate and NAA concentrations in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and occipital-parietal white and gray matter were quantified. Logistic regression was performed to determine the association of MRI and MRS features with patient outcomes. Results: A total of 98 children, including 66 children who underwent brain MRI (median [IQR] age, 1.0 [0.0-3.0] years; 28 girls [42.4%]; 46 White children [69.7%]) and 32 children who underwent brain MRS (median [IQR] age, 1.0 [0.0-9.5] years; 13 girls [40.6%]; 21 White children [65.6%]) were included in the study. In the MRI group, 23 children (34.8%) had an unfavorable outcome, and in the MRS group, 12 children (37.5%) had an unfavorable outcome. MRI Injury Scores were higher among children with an unfavorable outcome (median [IQR] score, 22 [7-32]) than children with a favorable outcome (median [IQR] score, 1 [0-8]). Increased lactate and decreased NAA in all 4 regions of interest were associated with an unfavorable outcome. In a multivariable logistic regression adjusted for clinical characteristics, increased MRI Injury Score (odds ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.04-1.20) was associated with an unfavorable outcome. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of children with cardiac arrest, brain features seen on MRI and MRS performed within 2 weeks after arrest were associated with 1-year outcomes, suggesting the utility of these imaging modalities to identify injury and assess outcomes.

Using rapid response system trigger clusters to characterize patterns of clinical deterioration among hospitalized adult patients.

Background: Many rapid response system (RRS) events are activated using multiple triggers. However, the patterns in which RRS triggers co-occur to activate the medical emergency team (MET) to respond to RRS events is unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the patterns (RRS trigger clusters) in which RRS triggers co-occur when used to activate the MET and determine the association of these clusters with outcomes using a sample of hospitalized adult patients. Methods: RRS events among adult patients from January 2015 to December 2019 in the Get With The Guidelines- Resuscitation registry's MET module were examined (n=134,406). A combination of cluster analyses methods was performed to group patients into RRS trigger clusters based on the triggers used to activate their RRS events. Pearson's chi-squared and ANOVA tests were used to examine differences in patient characteristics across RRS trigger clusters. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the associations between RRS trigger clusters and outcomes following RRS events. Results: Six RRS trigger clusters were identified in the study sample. The RRS triggers that predominantly identified each cluster were as follows: tachypnea, new onset difficulty in breathing, and decreased oxygen saturation (Cluster 1); tachypnea, decreased oxygen saturation, and staff concern (Cluster 2); respiratory depression, decreased oxygen saturation, and mental status changes (Cluster 3); tachycardia and staff concern (Cluster 4); mental status changes (Cluster 5); hypotension and staff concern (Cluster 6). Significant differences in patient characteristics were observed across RRS trigger clusters. Patients in Clusters 3 and 6 were associated with an increased likelihood of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA [p<0.01]), while Cluster 4 was associated with a decreased likelihood of IHCA (p<0.01). All clusters were associated with an increased risk of mortality (p<0.01). Conclusions: We discovered six novel RRS trigger clusters with differing relationships to adverse patient outcomes following RRS events. RRS trigger clusters may prove crucial in clarifying the associations between RRS events and adverse outcomes and may aid in clinician decision-making during RRS events.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation During Simulated Pediatric Interhospital Transport: Lessons Learned From Implementation of an Institutional Curriculum.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality during pediatric interhospital transport; hence, our aim was to investigate its feasibility. METHODS: After implementing an institutional education curriculum on pediatric resuscitation during ambulance transport, we conducted a 4-year prospective observational study involving simulation events. Simulated scenarios were (1) interhospital transport of a child retrieved in cardiac arrest (Sim1) and (2) unanticipated cardiac arrest of a child during transport (Sim2). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation data were collected via Zoll RSeries defibrillators. Performance was evaluated using age-appropriate American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines. Video recordings were reviewed for qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-six simulations were included: 16 Sim1 [mannequins: Laerdal SimMan 3G (n = 13); Gaumard 5-year-old HAL (n = 3)] and 10 Sim2 [Gaumard 1-year-old HAL (n = 8); Laerdal SimBaby (n = 2)]. Median (IQR) CPR duration was 18 minutes 23 seconds (14-22 minutes), chest compression rate was 112 per minute (106-118), and fraction (CCF) was 1 (0.9-1). Five hundred eight 60-second resuscitation epochs were evaluated (Sim1: 356; Sim2: 152); 73% were AHA compliant for rate and 87.8% for CCF. Twenty-four minutes (4.7%) had pauses more than 10 seconds. One hundred fifty seven Sim1 epochs (44.1%) met criteria for excellent CPR (AHA-compliant for rate, depth, and CCF). Rates of excellent CPR were higher for learner groups with increased simulation and transport experience (59.1% vs. 35.3%, P < 0.001). Thematic analysis identified performance-enhancing strategies, stemming from anticipating challenges, planning solutions, and ensuring team's shared mental model. CONCLUSIONS: High-quality CPR may be achievable during pediatric interhospital transport. Certain transport-specific strategies may enhance resuscitation quality. Learners' performance improved with simulation and transport experience, highlighting ongoing education's role.

Association of Blood-Based Brain Injury Biomarker Concentrations With Outcomes After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest.

Importance: Families and clinicians have limited validated tools available to assist in estimating long-term outcomes early after pediatric cardiac arrest. Blood-based brain-specific biomarkers may be helpful tools to aid in outcome assessment. Objective: To analyze the association of blood-based brain injury biomarker concentrations with outcomes 1 year after pediatric cardiac arrest. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Personalizing Outcomes After Child Cardiac Arrest multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in pediatric intensive care units at 14 academic referral centers in the US between May 16, 2017, and August 19, 2020, with the primary investigators blinded to 1-year outcomes. The study included 120 children aged 48 hours to 17 years who were resuscitated after cardiac arrest, had pre-cardiac arrest Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category scores of 1 to 3 points, and were admitted to an intensive care unit after cardiac arrest. Exposure: Cardiac arrest. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was an unfavorable outcome (death or survival with a Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, third edition, score of <70 points) at 1 year after cardiac arrest. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal esterase L1 (UCH-L1), neurofilament light (NfL), and tau concentrations were measured in blood samples from days 1 to 3 after cardiac arrest. Multivariate logistic regression and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analyses were performed to examine the association of each biomarker with outcomes on days 1 to 3. Results: Among 120 children with primary outcome data available, the median (IQR) age was 1.0 (0-8.5) year; 71 children (59.2%) were male. A total of 5 children (4.2%) were Asian, 19 (15.8%) were Black, 81 (67.5%) were White, and 15 (12.5%) were of unknown race; among 110 children with data on ethnicity, 11 (10.0%) were Hispanic, and 99 (90.0%) were non-Hispanic. Overall, 70 children (58.3%) had a favorable outcome, and 50 children (41.7%) had an unfavorable outcome, including 43 deaths. On days 1 to 3 after cardiac arrest, concentrations of all 4 measured biomarkers were higher in children with an unfavorable vs a favorable outcome at 1 year. After covariate adjustment, NfL concentrations on day 1 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.91; 95% CI, 1.82-19.19), day 2 (aOR, 11.88; 95% CI, 3.82-36.92), and day 3 (aOR, 10.22; 95% CI, 3.14-33.33); UCH-L1 concentrations on day 2 (aOR, 11.27; 95% CI, 3.00-42.36) and day 3 (aOR, 7.56; 95% CI, 2.11-27.09); GFAP concentrations on day 2 (aOR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.19-4.48) and day 3 (aOR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.19-4.03); and tau concentrations on day 1 (aOR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.14-5.25), day 2 (aOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.31-3.97), and day 3 (aOR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.16-3.57) were associated with an unfavorable outcome. The AUROC models were significantly higher with vs without the addition of NfL on day 2 (AUROC, 0.932 [95% CI, 0.877-0.987] vs 0.871 [95% CI, 0.793-0.949]; P = .02) and day 3 (AUROC, 0.921 [95% CI, 0.857-0.986] vs 0.870 [95% CI, 0.786-0.953]; P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, blood-based brain injury biomarkers, especially NfL, were associated with an unfavorable outcome at 1 year after pediatric cardiac arrest. Additional evaluation of the accuracy of the association between biomarkers and neurodevelopmental outcomes beyond 1 year is needed.

Understanding the Importance of the Lay Responder Experience in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is critical to increasing survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, the percentage of cases in which an individual receives bystander CPR is actually low, at only 35% to 40% globally. Preparing lay responders to recognize the signs of sudden cardiac arrest, call 9-1-1, and perform CPR in public and private locations is crucial to increasing survival from this public health problem. The objective of this scientific statement is to summarize the most recent published evidence about the lay responder experience of training, responding, and dealing with the residual impact of witnessing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The scientific statement focuses on the experience-based literature of actual responders, which includes barriers to responding, experiences of doing CPR, use of an automated external defibrillator, the impact of dispatcher-assisted CPR, and the potential for postevent psychological sequelae. The large body of qualitative and observational studies identifies several gaps in crucial knowledge that, if targeted, could increase the likelihood that those who are trained in CPR will act. We suggest using the experience of actual responders to inform more contextualized training, including the implications of performing CPR on a family member, dispelling myths about harm, training and litigation, and recognition of the potential for psychologic sequelae after the event.

Death and Dying in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients: A Prospective Multicenter, Multinational Study.

Background: For hospitalized children admitted outside of a critical care unit, the location, mode of death, "do-not-resuscitate" order (DNR) use, and involvement of palliative care teams have not been described across high-income countries. Objective: To describe location of death, patient and terminal care plan characteristics of pediatric inpatient deaths inside and outside the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Design: Secondary analysis of inpatient deaths in the Evaluating Processes of Care and Outcomes of Children in Hospital (EPOCH) randomized controlled trial. Setting/Subjects: Twenty-one centers from Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Measurement: Descriptive statistics were used to compare patient and terminal care plan characteristics. A multivariable generalized estimating equation examined if palliative care consult during hospital admission was associated with location of death. Results: A total of 365 of 144,539 patients enrolled in EPOCH died; 219 (60%) died in PICU and 143 (40%) died on another inpatient unit. Compared with other inpatient wards, patients who died in PICU were less likely to be expected to die, have a DNR or palliative care consult. Hospital palliative care consultation was more common in older children and independently associated with a lower adjusted odds (95% confidence interval) of dying in PICU [0.59 (0.52-0.68)]. Conclusion: Most pediatric inpatient deaths occur in PICU where patients were less likely to have a DNR or palliative care consult. Palliative care consultation could be better integrated into end-of-life care for younger children and those dying in PICU.

Association of end-tidal carbon dioxide levels during cardiopulmonary resuscitation with survival in a large paediatric cohort.

AIM: To examine the associations between ETCO2, ROSC, and chest compression quality markers in paediatric patients during active resuscitation. METHODS: This was a single-centre cohort study of data collected as part of an institutional prospective quality initiative improvement program that included all paediatric patients who received chest compressions of any duration from January 1, 2013, through July 10, 2018, in the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Data was collected from Zoll R Series® defibrillators. Events were included if Zoll data files contained both chest compression and ETCO2 data. 2,746 minutes corresponding to 143 events were included in the analyses. RESULTS: The median event ETCO2 for all 143 events was 16.8 [9.3-26.3] mmHg. There was a significant difference in median event ETCO2 between events that achieved ROSC and those that did not (ROSC: 19.3 [14.4-26.6] vs. NO ROSC: 13.9 [6.6-25.5] mmHg; p < 0.05). When the events were based on patient age, this relationship held in adolescents (ROSC: 18.8 [15.5-22.3] vs. NO ROSC: 9.6 [4.4-15.9] mmHg; p < 0.05), but not in children or infants. Median event ETCO2 was significantly associated with chest compression rate less than 140 (p < 0.0001) and chest compression fraction 90-100 (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This represents the largest collection of ETCO2 and chest compression data in paediatric patients to date and unadjusted analyses suggests an association between ETCO2 and ROSC in some paediatric patients.

Use of an end-tidal carbon dioxide-guided algorithm during cardiopulmonary resuscitation improves short-term survival in paediatric swine.

AIM: To evaluate an algorithm that uses an end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) target of ≥ 30 torr to guide specific changes in chest compression rate and epinephrine administration during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in paediatric swine. METHODS: Swine underwent asphyxial cardiac arrest followed by resuscitation with either standard or ETCO2-guided algorithm CPR. The standard group received chest compressions at a rate of 100/min and epinephrine every 4 min during advanced life support consistent with the American Heart Association paediatric resuscitation guidelines. In the ETCO2-guided algorithm group, chest compression rate was increased by 10 compressions/min for every minute that the ETCO2 was < 30 torr, and the epinephrine administration interval was decreased to every 2 min if the ETCO2 remained < 30 torr. Short-term survival and physiologic data during active resuscitation were compared. RESULTS: Short-term survival was significantly greater in the ETCO2-guided algorithm CPR group than in the standard CPR group (16/28 [57.1%] versus 4/28 [14.3%]; p = 0.002). Additionally, the algorithm group had higher predicted mean ETCO2, chest compression rate, diastolic and mean arterial pressure, and myocardial perfusion pressure throughout resuscitation. Swine in the algorithm group also exhibited significantly greater improvement in diastolic and mean arterial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure after the first dose of epinephrine than did those in the standard group. Incidence of resuscitation-related injuries was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a resuscitation algorithm with stepwise guidance for changes in the chest compression rate and epinephrine administration interval based on a goal ETCO2 level improved survival and intra-arrest hemodynamics in this porcine cardiac arrest model.

CPR coaching during cardiac arrest improves adherence to PALS guidelines: a prospective, simulation-based trial.

AIM: Recent studies have shown that the integration of a trained cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Coach during resuscitation enhances the quality of CPR during simulated paediatric cardiac arrest. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of a CPR Coach on adherence to Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) guidelines during simulated paediatric cardiac arrest. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of data collected from a multicentre randomized controlled trial assessing the quality of CPR in teams with and without a CPR Coach. Forty paediatric resuscitation teams were equally randomized into 2 groups (with or without a CPR Coach). The primary outcome was adherence to PALS guidelines during a simulated paediatric cardiac arrest case as measured by the Clinical Performance Tool (CPT). Video recordings were assigned to 2 pairs of expert raters. Raters were trained to independently score performances using the tool. RESULTS: The reliability of the rating was adequate for the Clinical Performance Tool with an intraclass coefficients of 0.67 (95%CI: 0.22 to 0.84). Performance scores of the different teams varied between 51 and 84 points on the Clinical Performance Tool with a mean score of 70. Teams with a CPR Coach demonstrated better adherence to PALS guidelines (i.e. CPT score 73 points) compared to teams without a CPR Coach (68 points, difference 5 points; 95%CI: 1.0-9.3, p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: In addition to improving CPR quality, the presence of a CPR Coach improves adherence to PALS guidelines during simulated paediatric cardiac arrests when compared with teams without a CPR Coach.

Change in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Performance Over Time During Simulated Pediatric Cardiac Arrest and the Effect of Just-in-Time Training and Feedback.

OBJECTIVES: Effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is critical to ensure optimal outcomes from cardiac arrest, yet trained health care providers consistently struggle to provide guideline-compliant CPR. Rescuer fatigue can impact chest compression (CC) quality during a cardiac arrest event, although it is unknown if visual feedback or just-in-time training influences change of CC quality over time. In this study, we attempt to describe the changes in CC quality over a 12-minute simulated resuscitation and examine the influence of just-in-time training and visual feedback on CC quality over time. METHODS: We conducted secondary analysis of data collected from the CPRCARES study, a multicenter randomized trial in which CPR-certified health care providers from 10 different pediatric tertiary care centers were randomized to receive visual feedback, just-in-time CPR training, or no intervention. They participated in a simulated cardiac arrest scenario with 2 team members providing CCs. We compared the quality of CCs delivered (depth and rate) at the beginning (0-4 minutes), middle (4-8 minutes), and end (8-12 minutes) of the resuscitation. RESULTS: There was no significant change in depth over the 3 time intervals in any of the arms. There was a significant increase in rate (128 to 133 CC/min) in the no intervention arm over the scenario duration (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant drop in CC depth over a 12-minute cardiac arrest scenario with 2 team members providing compressions.

Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice to Facilitate "Nano" In Situ Simulation: An Interprofessional Approach to Just-in-Time Training.

BACKGROUND: Simulation is increasingly used to identify latent threats to patient safety, such as delays in recognition and management of time-sensitive conditions. The Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice teaching method may facilitate "nano" (brief) in situ simulation training in a critical care setting to improve multidisciplinary team performance of time-sensitive clinical tasks. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether nano-in situ simulation training with Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice can improve pediatric intensive care unit team proficiency in identifying and managing postoperative shock in a pediatric cardiac patient. METHODS: A quality improvement educational project was conducted involving nano-in situ simulation sessions in a combined pediatric and pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. The Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice method was used with an expert-driven checklist for 30-minute simulation scenarios. RESULTS: A total of 23 critical care providers participated. The proportion of time-sensitive tasks completed within 5 minutes increased significantly from before to after training (52% [13 of 25] vs 100% [25 of 25]; P ≤ .001). Using a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating higher levels, the participants reported high degrees of performance confidence (mean, 4.42; SD, 0.20) and satisfaction with the simulation experience (mean, 4.96; SD, 0.12). CONCLUSION: The Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice method was used to facilitate nano-in situ simulation training and identify areas requiring additional education to improve patient safety. In situ simulation can educate providers in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Code Team Structure and Training in the Pediatric Resuscitation Quality International Collaborative.

OBJECTIVES: Code team structure and training for pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest are variable. There are no data on the optimal structure of a resuscitation team. The objective of this study is to characterize the structure and training of pediatric code teams in sites participating in the Pediatric Resuscitation Quality Collaborative. METHODS: From May to July 2017, an anonymous voluntary survey was distributed to 18 sites in the international Pediatric Resuscitation Quality Collaborative. The survey content was developed by the study investigators and iteratively adapted by consensus. Descriptive statistics were calculated. RESULTS: All sites have a designated code team and hospital-wide code team activation system. Code team composition varies greatly across sites, with teams consisting of 3 to 17 members. Preassigned roles for code team members before the event occur at 78% of sites. A step stool and backboard are used during resuscitations in 89% of surveyed sites. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) feedback is used by 72% of the sites. Of those sites that use CPR feedback, all use an audiovisual feedback device incorporated into the defibrillator and 54% use a CPR coach. Multidisciplinary and simulation-based code team training is conducted by 67% of institutions. CONCLUSIONS: Code team structure, equipment, and training vary widely in a survey of international children's hospitals. The variations in team composition, role assignments, equipment, and training described in this article will be used to facilitate future studies regarding the impact of structure and training of code teams on team performance and patient outcomes.

Pediatric Critical Care Simulation Curriculum: Training Nurse Practitioners to Lead in the Management of Critically Ill Children.

INTRODUCTION: Acute care pediatric nurse practitioners have become frontline providers in the critical care environment and are expected to provide leadership in acutely critical situations. We describe a 2-day, high-fidelity, simulation-based curriculum focused on training the pediatric nurse practitioners for leadership in critical care scenarios. METHOD: This prospective pre-post interventional study used simulation-based pedagogy. Knowledge tests, time-to-task, and a follow-up survey were used to determine the effectiveness of the training. RESULTS: Participants (n = 23) improved their knowledge scores by 27% (pretest: 35.2% [standard deviation = 12.1%]; posttest: 62.2% [standard deviation = 13.8%], p < .001). In addition, time-to-task for resuscitation variables improved significantly. At 3 months, 100% of the participants who responded either agreed (15.4%) or strongly agreed (84.6%) that the boot camp prepared them to lead in a critical emergency. DISCUSSION: Simulation-based training is an effective strategy for educating critical care pediatric nurse practitioners and improves their ability to manage pediatric emergencies rapidly, which can be lifesaving.

Best Practices and Theoretical Foundations for Simulation Instruction Using Rapid-Cycle Deliberate Practice.

STATEMENT: Rapid-cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) is a learner-centered simulation instructional strategy that identifies performance gaps and targets feedback to improve individual or team deficiencies. Learners have multiple opportunities to practice observational, deductive, decision-making, psychomotor, and crisis resource management skills. As its implementation grows, simulationists need to have a shared mental model of RCDP to build high-quality RCDP-based initiatives. To compare and make general inferences from RCDP data, each training needs to follow a similar structure. This article seeks to describe the fundamentals of RCDP, including essential components and potential variants. We also summarize the current published evidence regarding RCDP's effectiveness. This article serves to create a shared understanding of RCDP, provide clear definitions and classifications for RCDP research, and provide options for future RCDP investigation.

Saving Lives and Improving the Quality of Pediatric Resuscitation Across the World: A 1-Day Research Accelerator Hosted by the International Network for Simulation-based Pediatric Innovation, Research, and Education and the International Pediatric Simulation Society.

STATEMENT: The International Network for Simulation-based Pediatric Innovation, Research, and Education co-hosted a novel research accelerator meeting with the International Pediatric Simulation Society in May of 2019 in Toronto. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together healthcare simulation scientists with resuscitation stakeholders to brainstorm strategies for accelerating progress in the science of saving pediatric lives from cardiac arrest. This was achieved by working in teams to draft targeted requests for proposals calling the research community to action investigating this topic. During the 1-day meeting, groups were divided into 6 teams lead by experts representing specific domains of simulation research. Teams developed a pitch and presented a sample request for proposals to a panel of expert judges, making a case for why their domain was the most important to create a funding opportunity. The winner of the competition had their specific request for proposal turned into an actual funding opportunity, supported by philanthropy that was subsequently disseminated through International Network for Simulation-based Pediatric Innovation, Research, and Education as a competitive award. An inspired donor supported an award for the second-place proposal as well, evidence of early research acceleration catalyzed from this conference. This article is a summary of the meeting rationale, format, and a description of the requests for proposals that emerged from the meeting. Our goal is to inspire other stakeholders to use this document that leverages simulation and resuscitation science expertise, as the framework to create their own funding opportunities, further accelerating pediatric resuscitation research, ultimately saving the lives of more children worldwide.

Closing the Gap: Optimizing Performance to Reduce Interruptions in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

OBJECTIVES: The American Heart Association recommends minimizing pauses of chest compressions and defines high performance resuscitation as achieving a chest compression fraction greater than 80%. We hypothesize that interruption times are excessively long, leading to an unnecessarily large impact on chest compression fraction. DESIGN: A retrospective study using video review of a convenience sample of clinically realistic in situ simulated pulseless electrical activity cardiopulmonary arrests. SETTING: Johns Hopkins Children's Center; September 2013 to June 2017. PATIENTS: Twenty-two simulated patients. INTERVENTIONS: A framework was developed to characterize interruptions. Two new metrics were defined as follows: interruption time excess (the difference between actual and guideline-indicated allowable duration of interruption from compressions), and chest compression fraction potential (chest compression fraction with all interruption time excess excluded). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Descriptive statistics were generated for interruption-level and event-level variables. Differences between median chest compression fraction and chest compression fraction potential were assessed using Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Comparisons of interruption proportion before and after the first 5 minutes were assessed using the X test statistic. Seven-hundred sixty-six interruptions occurred over 22 events. Median event duration was 463.0 seconds (interquartile range, 397.5-557.8 s), with a mean 34.8 interruptions per event. Auscultation and intubation had the longest median interruption time excess of 13.0 and 7.5 seconds, respectively. Median chest compression fraction was 76.0% (interquartile range, 67.7-80.7 s), and median chest compression fraction potential was 83.4% (interquartile range, 80.4-87.4%). Comparing median chest compression fraction to median chest compression fraction potential found an absolute percent difference of 7.6% (chest compression fraction: 76.0% vs chest compression fraction potential: 83.4%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This lays the groundwork for studying inefficiency during cardiopulmonary resuscitation associated with chest compression interruptions. The framework we created allows for the determination of significant avoidable interruption time. By further elucidating the nature of interruptions, we can design and implement targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes.

Effect of a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Coach on Workload During Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Arrest: A Multicenter, Simulation-Based Study.

OBJECTIVES: Optimal cardiopulmonary resuscitation can improve pediatric outcomes but rarely is cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed perfectly despite numerous iterations of Basic and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. Cardiac arrests resuscitation events are complex, often chaotic environments with significant mental and physical workload for team members, especially team leaders. Our primary objective was to determine the impact of a cardiopulmonary resuscitation coach on cardiopulmonary resuscitation provider workload during simulated pediatric cardiac arrest. DESIGN: Multicenter observational study. SETTING: Four pediatric simulation centers. SUBJECTS: Team leaders, cardiopulmonary resuscitation coach, and team members during an 18-minute pediatric resuscitation scenario. INTERVENTIONS: National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Forty-one teams (205 participants) were recruited with one team (five participants) excluded from analysis due to protocol violation. Demographic data revealed no significant differences between the groups in regard to age, experience, distribution of training (nurse, physician, and respiratory therapist). For most workload subscales, there were no significant differences between groups. However, cardiopulmonary resuscitation providers had a higher physical workload (89.3 vs 77.9; mean difference, -11.4; 95% CI, -17.6 to -5.1; p = 0.001) and a lower mental demand (40.6 vs 55.0; mean difference, 14.5; 95% CI, 4.0-24.9; p = 0.007) with a coach (intervention) than without (control). Both the team leader and coach had similarly high mental demand in the intervention group (75.0 vs 73.9; mean difference, 0.10; 95% CI, -0.88 to 1.09; p = 0.827). When comparing the cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality of providers with high workload (average score > 60) and low to medium workload (average score < 60), we found no significant difference between the two groups in percentage of guideline compliant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (42.5% vs 52.7%; mean difference, -10.2; 95% CI, -23.1 to 2.7; p = 0.118). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a cardiopulmonary resuscitation coach increases physical workload and decreases mental workload of cardiopulmonary resuscitation providers. There was no change in team leader workload.