OhioHealth Simulation Brings Multiple Teams Together
Mock Car Crash With Pregnant Mother Puts Teams To Test
We know that when trauma strikes, seconds count. Dealing with one patient in a pressure-packed situation can be a real challenge, depending on the severity of the case. That challenge can intensify when the patient is pregnant, and now two lives hang in the balance.
Earlier this year multiple OhioHealth departments and teams participated in a simulation at Riverside Methodist Hospital.
The Simulation Scenario
The simulation started with paramedics from Norwich Township fire bringing in a simulated patient. The patient was a third-trimester pregnant woman who had been involved in a high-speed rollover crash.
As part of the simulation, OhioHealth simulation teams are able to control the breathing, speaking, vitals of the robotic patient.
Fire medics brought the simulated patient to the Riverside Methodist trauma bay where the surgery and emergency physicians started resuscitation attempts. As part of the simulation, they also contacted obstetric doctors to assist with the evaluation and treatment of the simulated patient and unborn child.
Additionally, ER nurses, medics, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and radiology techs all participated - practicing their usual care for Level 1 trauma patients. The OB team included Labor & Delivery nurses, a Labor & Delivery nurse anesthetist, and surgical nurses. The team also included members of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians.
Ultimately, despite the resuscitation efforts, the simulated mother died from her injuries and the teams moved on to perform a perimortem cesarean section, which included resuscitation of the baby.
The Results
"This training was a great opportunity to practice recent advances made between the emergency departments and labor and delivery with regards to supplies and communication with personnel", said Dr. Brad Gable, System Medical Director, OhioHealth Simulation. "To that end, it was an excellent use of simulation for low-frequency high-risk scenarios. All of the team members felt that there was improved communication and crisis resource management as a result of the training," Dr. Gable added.
A Culture of Continuing Education
OhioHealth Simulation does small and large-scale exercises throughout the year at multiple locations. Many of those scenarios play out in spaces like the hospitals, but often these men and women do simulation scenarios in the field.
