"Helper:" A critical events prompter for unexpected emergencies

The impact of cognitive aids on resuscitation performance in in-hospital cardiac arrest scenarios: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Different cognitive aids have been recently developed to support the management of cardiac arrest, however, their effectiveness remains barely investigated. We aimed to assess whether clinicians using any cognitive aids compared to no or alternative cognitive aids for in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) scenarios achieve improved resuscitation performance. PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched to identify studies comparing the management of adult/paediatric IHCA simulated scenarios by health professionals using different or no cognitive aids. Our primary outcomes were adherence to guideline recommendations (overall team performance) and time to critical resuscitation actions. Random-effects model meta-analyses were performed. Of the 4.830 screened studies, 16 (14 adult, 2 paediatric) met inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses of eight eligible adult studies indicated that the use of electronic/paper-based cognitive aids, in comparison with no aid, was significantly associated with better overall resuscitation performance [standard mean difference (SMD) 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64; 1.69; I² = 79%]. Meta-analyses of the two paediatric studies, showed non-significant improvement of critical actions for resuscitation (adherence to guideline recommended sequence of actions, time to defibrillation, rate of errors in defibrillation, time to start chest compressions), except for significant shorter time to amiodarone administration (SMD - 0.78; 95% CI - 1.39; - 0.18; I² = 0). To conclude, the use of cognitive aids appears to have benefits in improving the management of simulated adult IHCA scenarios, with potential positive impact on clinical practice. Further paediatric studies are necessary to better assess the impact of cognitive aids on the management of IHCA scenarios.

A Cognitive Aid Improves Adherence to Guidelines for Critical Endotracheal Intubation in the Resuscitation Room: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Manikin-Based In Situ Simulation

INTRODUCTION

Emergency endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a high-risk procedure. Some of its adverse events are life-threatening, and guidelines emphasize the need to anticipate complications by thorough preparation. The emergency department (ED) can be an unpredictable environment, and we tested the hypothesis that a cognitive aid would help the emergency practitioners better follow guidelines. The main objective of this study was to determine whether the use of a cognitive aid focusing on both preintubation and postintubation items could improve ETI preparation and implementation in the ED resuscitation room regarding adherence to guidelines. The secondary objective was to measure and describe procedure times.

METHODS

We conducted a single-blind randomized controlled trial with manikin-based in situ simulation. The participants were not aware of the purpose of the study. The cognitive aid was developed using national guidelines and current scientific literature. The most relevant items were the preparation and implementation of a rapid sequence induction for ETI followed by mechanical ventilation. Emergency department physician-nurse pairs were randomized into a "cognitive aid" group and a "control" group. All pairs completed the same scenario that led to ETI in their own resuscitation room. An adherence to guidelines score of 30, derived from the 30 items of the cognitive aid (1 point per item), and preparation and intubation times were collected.

RESULTS

Seventeen pairs were included in each group. Adherence to guidelines scores were significantly higher in the cognitive aid group than in the control group (median = 28 of 30, interquartile range = 25-28, vs. median = 24 of 30, interquartile range = 21-26, respectively, P < 0.01). Preparation, intubation, and total procedure times were slightly longer in the cognitive aid group, but these results were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

In an in situ simulation, a cognitive aid for the preparation and implementation of an emergency intubation procedure in the ED resuscitation room significantly improved adherence to guidelines without increasing procedure times. Further work is needed in a larger sample and in different settings to evaluate the optimal use of cognitive aids in critical situations.

The Development and Implementation of Cognitive Aids for Critical Events in Pediatric Anesthesia: The Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Critical Events Checklists

Cognitive aids such as checklists are commonly used in modern operating rooms for routine processes, and the use of such aids may be even more important during critical events. The Quality and Safety Committee of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) has developed a set of critical-event checklists and cognitive aids designed for 3 purposes: (1) as a repository of the latest evidence-based and expert opinion-based information to guide response and management of critical events, (2) as a source of just-in-time information during critical events, and (3) as a method to facilitate a shared understanding of required actions among team members during a critical event. Committee members, who represented children's hospitals from across the nation, used the recent literature and established guidelines (where available) and incorporated the expertise of colleagues at their institutions to develop these checklists, which included relevant factors to consider and steps to take in response to critical events. Human factors principles were incorporated to enhance checklist usability, facilitate error-free accomplishment, and ensure a common approach to checklist layout, formatting, structure, and design.The checklists were made available in multiple formats: a PDF version for easy printing, a mobile application, and at some institutions, a Web-based application using the anesthesia information management system. After the checklists were created, training commenced, and plans for validation were begun. User training is essential for successful implementation and should ideally include explanation of the organization of the checklists; familiarization of users with the layout, structure, and formatting of the checklists; coaching in how to use the checklists in a team environment; reviewing of the items; and simulation of checklist use. Because of the rare and unpredictable nature of critical events, clinical trials that use crisis checklists are difficult to conduct; however, recent and future simulation studies with adult checklists provide a promising avenue for future validation of the SPA checklists. This article will review the developmental steps in producing the SPA crisis checklists, including creation of content, incorporation of human factors elements, and validation in simulation. Critical-events checklists have the potential to improve patient care during emergency events, and it is hoped that incorporating the elements presented in this article will aid in successful implementation of these essential cognitive aids.

Just-in-time Training for Medical Emergencies: Computer versus Paper Checklists for a Tracheal Intubation Task

Responding to medical emergencies quickly and effectively is essential. In remote or hostile environments, fully trained medical personnel are not always available, so clear and effective guidance is required. This paper reports a comparison of paper-based and computer-based checklists for just-in-time training for medical emergencies. In a between-subjects experiment, untrained participants carried out an emergency airway management task on a patient simulator either using a paper-based checklist with text and still images or using a computer-based checklist that included identical text plus video clips. Participants using the computer-based checklist performed significantly faster and more proficiently than those using the paper checklist. Subjective usability and preference measures were also superior for computer checklist. The results suggest the clear superiority of the computer-based checklist for untrained responders. We discuss which aspects of the computer-based checklist may contribute to its superiority.

Crisis management during anaesthesia: the development of an anaesthetic crisis management manual

BACKGROUND

All anaesthetists have to handle life threatening crises with little or no warning. However, some cognitive strategies and work practices that are appropriate for speed and efficiency under normal circumstances may become maladaptive in a crisis. It was judged in a previous study that the use of a structured "core" algorithm (based on the mnemonic COVER ABCD-A SWIFT CHECK) would diagnose and correct the problem in 60% of cases and provide a functional diagnosis in virtually all of the remaining 40%. It was recommended that specific sub-algorithms be developed for managing the problems underlying the remaining 40% of crises and assembled in an easy-to-use manual. Sub-algorithms were therefore developed for these problems so that they could be checked for applicability and validity against the first 4000 anaesthesia incidents reported to the Australian Incident Monitoring Study (AIMS).

METHODS

The need for 24 specific sub-algorithms was identified. Teams of practising anaesthetists were assembled and sets of incidents relevant to each sub-algorithm were identified from the first 4000 reported to AIMS. Based largely on successful strategies identified in these reports, a set of 24 specific sub-algorithms was developed for trial against the 4000 AIMS reports and assembled into an easy-to-use manual. A process was developed for applying each component of the core algorithm COVER at one of four levels (scan-check-alert/ready-emergency) according to the degree of perceived urgency, and incorporated into the manual. The manual was disseminated at a World Congress and feedback was obtained.

RESULTS

Each of the 24 specific crisis management sub-algorithms was tested against the relevant incidents among the first 4000 reported to AIMS and compared with the actual management by the anaesthetist at the time. It was judged that, if the core algorithm had been correctly applied, the appropriate sub-algorithm would have been resolved better and/or faster in one in eight of all incidents, and would have been unlikely to have caused harm to any patient. The descriptions of the validation of each of the 24 sub-algorithms constitute the remaining 24 papers in this set. Feedback from five meetings each attended by 60-100 anaesthetists was then collated and is included.

CONCLUSION

The 24 sub-algorithms developed form the basis for developing a rational evidence-based approach to crisis management during anaesthesia. The COVER component has been found to be satisfactory in real life resuscitation situations and the sub-algorithms have been used successfully for several years. It would now be desirable for carefully designed simulator based studies, using naive trainees at the start of their training, to systematically examine the merits and demerits of various aspects of the sub-algorithms. It would seem prudent that these sub-algorithms be regarded, for the moment, as decision aids to support and back up clinicians' natural responses to a crisis when all is not progressing as expected.

Crisis resource management among strangers: principles of organizing a multidisciplinary group for crisis resource management

Patient safety depends on the skills, vigilance, and judgment of trained individuals working as members of a clinical team that includes anesthesiologists, surgeons, nurses, and technicians. Now, as never before, safe outcome depends both on better knowledge and better management. This requires organization of caregivers, who may be strangers from diverse disciplines, into teams. One can drill an individual to work safely alone. One can rehearse a series of scenarios with small groups (who regularly work together) to improve performance. But what does one do with an unrehearsed group, called together in an emergency from several different disciplines, usually including Anesthesia. These people may not know each other, their roles, their special skills, and may even be hazy about each other's goals. Rapid organization of such an ad hoc team becomes a critical priority where patient safety is at stake. The way by which such an ad hoc team from several disciplines can rapidly be helped to function effectively together is by teaching all the "strangers" the principles of Crisis Resource Management. These principles are not as well-presented in a written text or lecture format, as one cannot introduce the sense of urgency that emotionally charges and changes the impact. We believe the best teacher is experience gained in a realistic simulated environment using a model driven, full human simulator. This simulated environment is safe for both patient and trainee.