Preparing Hospitals For The Littlest Victims Of Terrorism

Main Category: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 09 Feb 2006 - 11:00 PDT

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Rush University Medical Center is among the first in the city of Chicago to use a baby simulator to train health care professionals on responding to infants exposed to chemical agents during a terrorist attack.

Children are particularly vulnerable to all forms of disasters, especially terrorism. The Chicago Department of Public Health and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) selected Rush as the grantee to train all Chicago area health care providers in treating pediatric victims of terrorism. Named in 2002 as a bioterrorism preparedness Center of Excellence by the Chicago Department of Health , Rush has been identified as an advocate for children exposed to terrorism and disasters.

Through this grant, a baby simulator has been purchased and a Pediatric Chemical Workshop has been created by Rush faculty developers and facilitators. The goal of the workshop is to provide knowledge and hands-on training of emergency pediatric resuscitation in children exposed to chemical agents of terrorism.

"Children are not just little adults. Children can respond the exact opposite to chemical agents than adults and they have different medical vulnerabilities," said Dr. Paul N. Severin, Pediatric Intensivist and Assistant Director, Affiliated Programs, Rush University Simulator Lab. "In a disaster situation, emergency physicians need to be well versed on the treatment guidelines for babies and small children."

The simulation sessions are rapid-paced, high intensity clinical situations that will simulate a hospital setting during a terrorist attack. The BabySim has many life-like functions that enhance the training, such as blinking eyes, chest movements with respiration, palpable pulses, exhalation of carbon dioxide, crying, coughing, and much more. The baby simulator allows performance of clinical tasks such as tracheal intubation, insertion of intravenous or bladder catheters, and chest compressions, which provide realistic clinical scenarios.

Teams of four are presented with the BabySim and a scenario. They aren't told what the exact chemical agent is. They must discover what the problem is, look for other reasons why the infant may be responding this way, and treat the BabySim with life-saving medical management. The sessions are video and audio-recorded. Once completed, participants are debriefed through a video review of their medical management and group dynamics.

"We have found there is a need for this type of pediatric specific training," said Severin. "During a disaster, hospitals often plan to transfer pediatric patients to children's facilities. However, that may not be an option. Therefore, everyone must be prepared to act effectively and efficiently."

Over 60 providers from more than 30 Chicago hospitals will have received training in the Rush University Simulation Laboratory by February 2006. Additional training on the management of pediatric blast and thermal injury is anticipated for spring 2006. The workshop is facilitated by Drs. Paul Severin, Edmundo Cortez, Jane Kramer, Scott Miller, and Rachel Burke.

The Rush University Simulation Laboratory (RUSL) was established in 2002 thanks to a generous bequest from the estate of Mrs. Alverin M. Cornell. It is a state-of-the-art simulation training center equipped with life-sized, computer controlled patient simulators that enable all levels of healthcare providers to learn medical procedures in a highly realistic environment. RUSL is equipped with an adult human patient simulator, a child simulator and one of the first baby simulators, all manufactured by the METI Corporation. For more information about RUSL, see http://www.rushu.rush.edu/rusl.

http://www.rush.edu

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