Simulation training for advanced airway management for anesthesia and other healthcare providers: a systematic review

We studied the current literature on human patient simulation for preparing anesthesia and other healthcare providers for advanced airway management. A systematic review was conducted of articles published between 1990 and 2009 on advanced airway management for patients undergoing anesthesia and patients who are not. The search used 4 electronic databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. We included 34 articles in the analysis; 15 were experimental or quasi-experimental designs, 8 descriptive studies and reports, and 11 analyses of equipment or technique evaluations using simulation. The majority of the studies included simulation education evaluation for a variety of medical, nursing, and allied health providers and students. Only 6 studies addressed the use of simulation as an educational or evaluation tool to enhance training of anesthesia providers in difficult airway management. Those studies included analyses of different types of training and the perceived value of simulated training, and evaluations of equipment. Few studies have analyzed the effects of this modality on trainer skills and patient safety. There is a clear need for well-designed studies to examine these effects.