Emergency pediatric anesthesia - accessibility of information

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Pediatric emergencies present unique challenges due to variations in patient physiology and anatomy.
• Medication and fluid calculation errors in pediatric emergencies can have severe consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability and speed of information resources used by anesthetic trainees during pediatric emergencies.
• To compare the effectiveness of smartphone applications, formularies, and local handbooks against trainee knowledge.

Main Methods:

• Anesthetic trainees identified critical information from pediatric emergency scenarios.
• Information retrieval times and accuracy were measured using smartphone apps (PaedsED, Anapaed), the British National Formulary for Children (BNF), and a local handbook (PAEDs).

Main Results:

• Trainee's own knowledge was the fastest but least accurate information source.
• PaedsED app was fast and accurate, while Anapaed was accurate but slower.
• The PAEDs handbook was fast, accurate, and highly rated for its checklist format.

Conclusions:

• Trainee knowledge alone is insufficient for accurate pediatric emergency management.
• PaedsED and PAEDs are recommended as rapidly accessible and reliable resources for anesthetic trainees.
• Effective information resources are vital for improving patient safety in pediatric emergencies.