Video Recordings to Analyze Preventable Management Errors in Pediatric Resuscitation Bay

In treating patients of different ages and diseases in the pediatric resuscitation bay, management errors are common. This study aimed to analyze the adherence to advanced trauma life support and pediatric advanced life support guidelines and identify management errors in the pediatric resuscitation bay by using video recordings.

Video recording of all patients admitted to the pediatric resuscitation bay at University Children's Hospital Zurich during a 13-month period was performed. Treatment adherence to advanced trauma life support guidelines and pediatric advanced life support guidelines and errors per patient were identified.

During the study period, 128 patients were recorded (65.6% with surgical, 34.4% with medical diseases). The most common causes for admission were traumatic brain injury (21.1%), multiple trauma (20.3%), and seizures (14.8%). There was a statistically significant correlation between accurate handover from emergency medical service to hospital physicians and adherence to airway, breathing, circulation, and disability sequence (correlation coefficient [CC], 0.205; P = 0.021), existence of a defined team leader and adherence to airway, breathing, circulation, and disability sequence (CC, 0.856; P < 0.001), and accurate hand over and existence of a defined team leader (CC, 0.186; P = 0.037). Unexpected errors were revealed. Cervical spine examination/stabilization was omitted in 40% of admitted surgical patients, even in 20% of patients with an injury of spine/limbs.

Video recording is a useful tool to evaluate patient management in the pediatric resuscitation bay. Analyzing errors of missing the adherence to the guidelines helps to pay attention and focus on specific items to improve patient care.