My Broken Heart.

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Emergency Medicine
• Cardiology

Background:

• Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) are crucial for severe heart failure patients.
• Emergency physicians must manage diverse LVAD complications, including suction events and GI bleeds.
• A suction event precipitated by GI bleed is a critical, though rare, LVAD complication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To train emergency medicine residents in recognizing and managing LVAD suction events.
• To enhance residents' ability to assess hemodynamics, manage arrhythmias, and treat hypovolemia.
• To improve closed-loop communication skills among healthcare teams during critical events.

Main Methods:

• A high-fidelity simulation case was developed for emergency medicine residents.
• The simulation was implemented in various settings (in situ, simulation center, off-site).
• Debriefing focused on a critical action checklist and stimulated discussion on LVAD patient management.

Main Results:

• The simulation was well-received, effective, and easily implemented across different locations.
• Participants demonstrated proficiency in managing critical actions related to LVAD complications.
• The case prompted robust discussions on LVAD patient assessment, arrhythmias, and anticoagulation reversal.

Conclusions:

• LVAD complication simulation is effective for training emergency medicine residents on high-acuity, low-frequency events.
• Simulation-based training enhances clinical learning and preparedness for critical LVAD-related scenarios.
• This approach fosters comprehensive understanding and discussion of complex patient management.