CJEM Articles: Daniel Howes

Objective: Residents must become proficient in a variety of procedures. The practice of learning procedural skills on patients has come under ethical scrutiny, giving rise to the concept of simulation-based medical education. Resident training in a simulated environment allows skill acquisition without compromising patient safety. We assessed the impact of a simulation-based procedural skills training course on residents’ competence in the performance of critical resuscitation procedures.

Methods: We solicited self-assessments of the knowledge and clinical skills required to perform resuscitation procedures from a cross-sectional multidisciplinary sample of 28 resident study participants. Participants were then exposed to an intensive 8-hour simulation-based training program, and asked to repeat the self-assessment questionnaires on completion of the course, and again 3 months later. We assessed the validity of the self-assessment questionnaire by evaluating participants’ skills acquisition through an Objective Structured Clinical Examination station.

Results: We found statistically significant improvements in participants’ ratings of both knowledge and clinical skills during the 3 self-assessment periods (p <0.001). The participants’ year of postgraduate training influenced their self-assessment of knowledge (F2,25 = 4.91, p <0.01) and clinical skills (F2,25 = 10.89, p <0.001). At the 3-month follow-up, junior-level residents showed consistent improvement from their baseline scores, but had regressed from their posttraining measures. Senior-level residents continued to show further increases in their assessments of both clinical skills and knowledge beyond the simulation-based training course.

Conclusion: Significant improvement in self-assessed theoretical knowledge and procedural skill competence for residents can be achieved through participation in a simulation-based resuscitation course. Gains in perceived competence appear to be stable over time, with senior learners gaining further confidence at the 3-month follow-up. Our findings support the benefits of simulation-based training for residents.

Introduction: Optimal management of severe sepsis in the ED has evolved rapidly. The purpose of these guidelines is to review key management principles for Canadian emergency physicians, utilizing an evidence-based grading system.
Methods: Key areas in the management of septic patents were determined by members of the CAEP Critical Care Interest Group (C4). Members of C4 were assigned a question to be answered after literature review, based on the Oxford grading system. After completion, each section underwent a secondary review by another member of C4. A tertiary review was conducted by additional external experts, and modifications were determined by consensus. Grading was based on peer-reviewed publications only, and where evidence was insufficient to address an important topic, a "practice point" was provided based on group opinion.
Results: The project was initiated in 2005 and completed in December 2007. Key areas which were reviewed include the definition of sepsis, the use of invasive procedures, fluid resuscitation, vasopressor/inotrope use, the importance of culture acquisitionin the ED, antimicrobial therapy and source control. Other areas reviewed included the use of corticosteroids, activated protein C, transfusions and mechanical ventilation.
Conclusion: Early sepsis management in the ED is paramount for optimal patient outcomes. The CAEP Critical Care Interest Group Sepsis Position Statement provides a framework to improve the ED care of this patient population.