Development and use of a portable paediatric resuscitation card

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Clinical Decision Support Systems
• Medical Education

Background:

• Inaccurate and delayed decision-making in pediatric resuscitation can lead to preventable deaths.
• Existing knowledge gaps in pediatric resuscitation parameters among healthcare professionals.
• Need for accessible and reliable tools to support critical care decisions in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess knowledge deficits in pediatric resuscitation among tertiary hospital pediatric doctors.
• To develop and evaluate a portable aide-memoire reference card for pediatric resuscitation.
• To determine the impact of the reference card on the accuracy of resuscitation data retrieval.

Main Methods:

• A convenience sample of 46 medical staff completed a pre-intervention questionnaire assessing resuscitation knowledge.
• A 9x6 cm laminated card with essential resuscitation parameters and algorithms was developed based on identified deficits.
• An identical questionnaire was administered to 18 doctors 4 months post-card distribution to assess post-intervention knowledge.

Main Results:

• Over 40% of pre-card responses contained basic calculation errors, with no correlation between seniority and accuracy.
• The post-card group demonstrated significantly higher accuracy in answering resuscitation knowledge questions.
• Medical staff successfully utilized the reference card to obtain correct pediatric resuscitation parameters.

Conclusions:

• The portable reference card significantly improved medical staff's knowledge of pediatric resuscitation values.
• The aide-memoire card is a practical tool that enhances accuracy in pediatric resuscitation decision-making.
• The resuscitation card has been widely adopted and is accessible online, promoting standardized care.