Paediatric Major Incident Planning at a Major Trauma Centre; Learning from Simulation

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Pediatric Critical Care
• Healthcare Simulation

Background:

• Recent terrorist attacks highlighted the need to test emergency response protocols.
• A previous hospital-wide simulation focused on admission and theatre pathways.
• This study addresses the need to evaluate pediatric-specific discharge and bed capacity protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the pediatric Major Incident (MI) protocol focusing on discharge pathways.
• To assess immediate bed capacity in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) and general pediatric wards.
• To identify areas for improvement in the hospital's major incident policy.

Main Methods:

• A simulation exercise was conducted following a hospital-wide Major Incident simulation.
• The simulation focused on pediatric discharge pathways and immediate bed capacity.
• Key performance indicators included capacity assessment, discharge number estimation, communication testing, staff response evaluation, and shift planning.

Main Results:

• The simulation successfully tested discharge pathways and immediate bed capacity in pediatric units.
• Communication pathways and staff responses during a simulated major incident were evaluated.
• The exercise identified specific issues within the major incident policy for pediatric care.

Conclusions:

• The simulation provided valuable insights into the effectiveness of the pediatric Major Incident protocol.
• Recommendations were generated to enhance discharge planning and bed management during major incidents.
• Continuous improvement of the major incident policy is crucial for pediatric patient safety.