Cognitive Aid for Anesthetic Preparation in An Emergency Situation: A Simulation-Based Study

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Medical Simulation
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Urgent anesthesia preparations are prone to omissions, potentially harming patients.
• Effective preparation of the anesthetic room is critical in emergency scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitive aid in improving anesthetic room preparation during simulated emergencies.
• To assess the impact of simulation-based training on anesthesia preparation efficiency.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, single-center simulation study involving 32 anesthesia residents.
• Two phases: initial preparation without a cognitive aid, followed by a randomized controlled trial with or without a cognitive aid.
• Primary outcome: validation rate of essential items within the first 5 minutes of preparation.

Main Results:

• The cognitive aid group showed significantly more essential items completed in the first 5 minutes compared to baseline.
• Both groups (aid and control) demonstrated significant improvement in item completion and reduced preparation time in phase 2 compared to phase 1.
• No significant difference in overall completed items between the aid and control groups in phase 2.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive aids can enhance the completion of specific safety items during urgent simulated anesthesia preparations.
• Simulation training alone improves anesthesia preparation and reduces time, irrespective of cognitive aid use.
• Both cognitive aids and simulation contribute to safer and more efficient emergency anesthetic room preparation.