[Paediatric simulation today and tomorrow. Perspectives and concepts]

The confrontation with critically ill newborns, infants and small children is rare and poses a particular challenge for the medical team. Confident technical and non-technical skills are essential for successful emergency treatment. Paediatric simulators facilitate a didactic infrastructure, linking textbook theory with experience-based practice. To summarize the current status of paediatric simulation in Germany, Austria and Switzerland an online survey of all associated centres was conducted. Paediatric simulation is currently available at 24 centres, which have 39 paediatric simulators available, including 8 for newborns, 26 for infants and 5 for children. A certain congruence of standards is detectable among these centres and most instructors have completed a specialized instructor training. Of the instructors 26% are specialized nursing personnel and 67% are physicians of which most are paediatricians and anaesthesiologists. Many centres (38%) operate solely by means of the enthusiastic dedication of the employees who organize various activities during their free time. Nearly all centres (92%) place particular emphasis on non-technical skills which include the interpersonal aspects of crisis resource management. Video-supported debriefing is considered to be the basis for effective training. Within the scope of the recently established PaedSim project the curricula of paediatric simulation courses should be more structured and internationally standardized, thereby increasing both efficacy and sustainability of these training programs.