Virtual Reality Simulation for Pediatric Airway Intubation Readiness Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Simulation Technology
• Pediatric Critical Care

Background:

• Inevitably, inexperienced trainees require robust preparation for pediatric airway intubation.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive educational opportunities for complex medical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a VR tutorial for preparing trainees for pediatric airway intubation.
• To compare the performance of trainees receiving VR training with that of experienced trainees lacking VR exposure.

Main Methods:

• A 19-minute immersive VR tutorial was administered to a group of junior fellows and residents.
• Trainees demonstrated intubation preparation skills using a manikin.
• A control group of experienced fellows recalled and listed preparation steps from memory, assessed via a timed checklist.

Main Results:

• Seventeen subjects participated; two residents were excluded.
• The VR group (seven trainees) demonstrated similar performance accuracy (50.5%) compared to the non-VR group (50.8%) on the 24-point checklist (P=1).
• No statistically significant difference in performance was observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

• VR technology is a viable tool for educating trainees in pediatric airway intubation preparation.
• Current findings indicate no difference in performance accuracy between VR-trained and non-VR-trained groups.
• Larger studies are recommended to further investigate the benefits of VR in airway intubation training and performance.