Simulation as a set-up for technical proficiency: Can a virtual warm-up improve live fibre-optic intubation?

S. T. Samuelson, G. Burnett, A. J. Sim, I. Hofer, A. D. Weinberg, A. Goldberg, T. S. Chang, S. Demaria

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background Fibre-optic intubation (FOI) is an advanced technical skill, which anaesthesia residents must frequently perform under pressure. In surgical subspecialties, a virtual 'warm-up' has been used to prime a practitioner's skill set immediately before performance of challenging procedures. This study examined whether a virtual warm-up improved the performance of elective live patient FOI by anaesthesia residents. Methods Clinical anaesthesia yr 1 and 2 (CA1 and CA2) residents were recruited to perform elective asleep oral FOI. Residents either underwent a 5 min, guided warm-up (using a bronchoscopy simulator) immediately before live FOI on patients with predicted normal airways or performed live FOI on similar patients without the warm-up. Subjects were timed performing FOI (from scope passing teeth to viewing the carina) and were graded on a 45-point skill scale by attending anaesthetists. After a washout period, all subjects were resampled as members of the opposite cohort. Multivariate analysis was performed to control for variations in previous FOI experience of the residents. Results Thirty-three anaesthesia residents were recruited, of whom 22 were CA1 and 11 were CA2. Virtual warm-up conferred a 37% reduction in time for CA1s (mean 35.8 (sd 3.2) s vs. 57 (sd 3.2) s, P<0.0002) and a 26% decrease for CA2s (mean 23 (sd 1.7) s vs. 31 (sd 1.7) s, P=0.0118). Global skill score increased with warm-up by 4.8 points for CA1s (mean 32.8 (sd 1.2) vs. 37.6 (sd 1.2), P=0.0079) and 5.1 points for CA2s (37.7 (sd 1.1) vs. 42.8 (sd 1.1), P=0.0125). Crossover period and sequence did not show a statistically significant association with performance. Conclusions Virtual warm-up significantly improved performance by residents of FOI in live patients with normal airway anatomy, as measured both by speed and by a scaled evaluation of skills.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)398-404
Number of pages7
JournalBritish Journal of Anaesthesia
Volume116
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Mar 2016

Keywords

  • airway management
  • computer simulation
  • motor skills
  • warm-up exercise

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