Journal of Education and Teaching in Emergency Medicine

Audience:

This is a lecture paired with facilitated small group sessions and is targeted towards emergency medicine residents and physicians.

The enneagram is a well-established and popular personality theory that asserts that there are nine basic personality types, and that each enneagram type, 1-9, operates from a basic fear and a basic desire that produces predictable behavioral patterns and preferences.1-2 The enneagram has long been used as a tool to enhance self-awareness and to better understand internal defenses and reactions,3-5and as such, it has been increasingly utilized to enhance self-growth and development in the fields of education, parenting, and business.6-7 While some studies have used the enneagram as a tool to predict natural empathy or stress levels of those in the medical field, particularly in nursing and medical school students,8-9 little has been published on the use of the enneagram as a tool to enhance self-awareness, leadership, and teamwork in the medical field.  Emergency medicine is a specialty in which residents and physicians must not only be self-aware but must also be attuned to the dynamics of their healthcare team in order to succeed. We believe that the enneagram is the ideal tool to enhance these crucial skills.

The primary aim of this session was to enhance participants’ self-awareness by identifying their enneagram type and therefore their predictable behavioral patterns.  The secondary aim was to discuss strategies to improve teamwork and physician team leadership by directly addressing the type’s strengths and weaknesses in these interactions.

By the end of this session, the learner will be able to: 1) Self-identify with a primary enneagram personality type.  2) List the fears, desires, and motivations of the enneagram type.  3) Describe struggles in interacting with other disparate enneagram types. 4) Discuss strategies for success in facing conflict and interacting with other team members.

This lecture was designed to educate emergency department physicians and residents on the enneagram tool.  The introductory lecture takes about 20 minutes, and following this foundational presentation, learners split into small groups.  Small group sessions take an additional 20 minutes during which facilitators guide learners through a discussion on their enneagram type and the potential strengths and challenges that each type might face in professional situations.  This session was hosted during an Emergency Medicine Resident Education Conference.  Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the session was presented virtually on a synchronous video platform with small group breakout rooms.

Following the session, the educational content was evaluated by our residents and faculty by a Likert reaction survey.  The survey assessed both the form and effectiveness of the delivery method and the impact of the content in the session.

A total of 17 responses with a mix of faculty and PGY years were collected after the session. In the post-session survey, 23% (6) of participants reported that the session was “moderately important in better understanding myself,” and 38.5% (4) of participants reported that the session was “quite important in better understanding myself.”  62% (11) of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the session helped them to understand their peers’ personalities and communication preferences.

Overall, this educational content and delivery in this format was well received and effective in enhancing residents’ understanding of themselves and their team’s personalities. Our residents and faculty engaged in insightful conversations around their own enneagram type and shared their successes and struggles in interacting with other enneagram types. At the end of the session, our participants left with not only greater self-awareness but also with an appreciation for the preferences and personalities of others on the medical team.

Enneagram, leadership, teamwork, self-awareness, emotional intelligence.

Audience:

The target audiences for this hands-on innovation are health care providers including medical students and emergency medicine residents. This simulation is also appropriate for small group sessions teaching the layperson.

While generally not life-threating fishhook injuries are commonplace. They can end a day of recreation or an outdoor trip and possibly result in a visit to an emergency department or urgent care. Hands-on education on fishhook removal techniques that minimize tissue damage is rarely provided in wilderness first aid or traditional medical education. To the best of our knowledge, to date there are only two studies on fishhook removal simulations in medical and wilderness first aid education.1,2 The previously described simulation models are limited by accessibility of materials, realism, and cost.

The goal of this small group session is to fill the gap in training on fishhook injuries. At the end of the session participants should be able to describe the parts of a fishhook, as well as demonstrate and have increased confidence in performing multiple fishhook removal techniques.

Social learning theory is the conceptual framework for this small group session.3,4 This reflects the idea that students learn not only through repetition with trial and error, but through social interactions, observing and modeling successes of others. As a result, while this simulation requires a facilitator ensure the required items are available it does not necessitate a facilitator be present over the entire duration. Participants perform common fishhook removal techniques with hands-on skill development using commercially available silicone sponge injection pad trainers.

Evaluating this small group session at a wilderness medicine training attended by medical and physician assistant students and their guests, self-reported confidence in fishhook removal before and after the simulation was assessed with a paired t-test. Survey results of perceived effectiveness and value of the simulation were also evaluated.

The average confidence increased 58% after the simulation (p<0.005). The mean level of effectiveness was 87% and the participant perceived monetary value of the simulation materials was greater than actual cost.

This innovation is a cost-friendly way to provide education and practice on fishhook removal. It requires minimal set up time and pre-learning can be easily modified to the expected knowledge and experience of participants. Understanding the fishhook removal techniques and increased levels of confidence has the potential to make participants more efficient when caring for patients. It may result in greater likelihood of success in removing fishhooks with minimal tissue damage.

Fishhook injuries, medical simulation, emergency medical education, wilderness first aid, wound management, injection pad trainers.

Audience:

The target audience of this simulation is emergency medicine residents and medical students.  The simulation is based on a real case of a 12-year-old male who presented obtunded with shortness of breath and hypothermia who was ultimately diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and pneumomediastinum.  This case highlights the diagnosis and management of an adolescent with new onset diabetic ketoacidosis and pneumomediastinum with deterioration of status, as well as important ventilator settings if intubation is required in the setting of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Type 1 diabetes is a common disease in the pediatric population with the prevalence being approximately 2.15 per 1000 youths and diabetic ketoacidosis being the presenting status in 30-40% of the patients.1 Physicians who evaluate a child with altered mental status must have diabetic ketoacidosis in their differential. In the setting of mechanical ventilation in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), special care must be taken.  Mechanical ventilation in these patients comes with increased risk, morbidity, and mortality.  Risk factors for pneumomediastinum include lung disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and malignancy, but also can occur in the acute setting of vomiting or trauma.

By the end of the simulation, learners will be able to: 1) develop a differential diagnosis for an adolescent who presents obtunded with shortness of breath; 2) discuss the management of diabetic ketoacidosis; 3) discuss management of hypothermia in a pediatric patient; 4) discuss appropriate ventilator settings in a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis; and 5) demonstrate interpersonal communication with family, nursing, and consultants during high stress situations.

This is a high-fidelity simulation that allows learners to manage the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis and hypothermia in an adolescent patient.  Participants participated in a debriefing after the simulation. There should be approximately 4-5 learners per case.  This simulation was performed in 3 sessions.  Each learner performed this simulation one time.

The effectiveness of this case was evaluated by surveys given to learners after debriefing. Learners gave quantitative and qualitative results of their feedback using a 1-5 rating scale and open-ended written questions. This case was trialed with residents in their first through third years of training as well as fourth year medical students.

Feedback was very positive, with 19 residents completing the post-simulation survey. They enjoyed the case and reported they would feel more comfortable in a comparable situation in the future.  Four survey questions were asked of the participants. On average, learners stated they felt the simulation improved their ability to manage a pediatric DKA patient, and their knowledge of complications and appropriate ventilator settings improved (modes of 5, 4 and 5, respectively).

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a common and critical diagnosis for emergency medicine physicians to consider in the setting of altered mental status in a pediatric patient.  This simulation has multiple steps and is based on a real case of an obtunded and hypothermic pediatric patient who was ultimately diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis complicated by pneumomediastinum.

Diabetic ketoacidosis, pneumomediastinum, hypothermia, altered mental status, pediatrics, adolescent, intubation, hypoxia, ventilator settings, cardiac arrest, emergency medicine, medical simulation.

Audience:

This scenario was developed to educate emergency medicine residents on the diagnosis and management of ventricular tachycardia (VT) that is refractory to single dose anti-arrhythmic management.

Electrical storm, defined as three or more episodes of sustained VT, ventricular fibrillation, or appropriate shocks from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator within 24 hours,1 has a mortality rate up to 14% in the first 48 hours.2 Ventricular tachycardia may present in a heterogenous fashion, not only with stable versus unstable clinical presentations, but also with different electrocardiographic morphologies and etiologies.1 Understanding how to rapidly diagnose, treat, and utilize second or third-line treatments is vital in the setting of refractory ventricular tachycardia rather than relying on the success of first-line agents. Appreciation for what medications are readily available in your crash cart and medication dispensing cabinet is critical for timely management for refractory ventricular tachycardia.

At the conclusion of the simulation session, learners will be able to: 1) identify the different etiologies of VT, including structural heart disease, acute ischemia, and acquired or congenital QT syndrome; 2) describe confounding factors of VT, such as electrolyte abnormalities and sympathetic surge; 3) describe how to troubleshoot an unsuccessful synchronized cardioversion, including checking equipment connections, increasing delivered energy, and changing pad placement; 4) compare and contrast treatments of VT based on suspected underlying etiology; 5) describe reasons to activate the cardiac catheterization lab other than occlusive myocardial infarction; and 6) identify appropriate disposition of the patient to the cardiac catheterization lab.

This session was conducted using high-fidelity simulation, followed by a debriefing session and lecture on the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management of VT. Debriefing methods may be left to the discretion of participants, but the authors have utilized advocacy-inquiry techniques. This scenario may also be run as an oral board case.

Our residents are provided a survey at the completion of the debriefing session so they may rate different aspects of the simulation, as well as provide qualitative feedback on the scenario.

The local institution’s simulation center’s electronic feedback form is based on the Center of Medical Simulation’s Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (DASH) Student Version Short Form3with the inclusion of required qualitative feedback if an element was scored less than a 6 or 7. Twelve learners completed a feedback form. This session received 6 and 7 scores (consistently effective/very good and extremely effective/outstanding, respectively) other than three isolated 5 scores. The lowest average score was 6.67 for “Before the simulation, the instructor set the stage for an engaging learning experience.” The highest average score was 7 for “The instructor helped me see how to improve or how to sustain good performance.” The form also includes an area for general feedback about the case at the end. Illustrative examples of feedback include: “Excellent care and debrief.” Specific scores are available upon request.

This is a cost-effective method for reviewing VT diagnosis and management. The case may be modified for appropriate audiences, such as describing what medications may be readily available in a free-standing emergency department or pre-hospital setting.

Medical simulation, ventricular tachycardia, cardiac emergencies, dysrhythmias, cardiology, emergency medicine.

Audience:

This scenario was developed to educate emergency medicine residents on the diagnosis and management of patients with an inhalational airway injury secondary to a house fire.

Burn injuries are a common occurrence encountered by the emergency physician. According to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, around 371,000 patients were treated in emergency departments for fire or burn injuries across the United States in 2020. This represents around 1% of emergency department visits related to injury, poisoning, or adverse effects.1 One of the most dangerous and time critical aspects of managing severely burned patients is inhalation injury. Inhalation injury is a relatively vague term which may refer to pulmonary exposure to a wide range of chemicals in various forms. In the context of burn patients, this is most often smoke exposure. It is critical that the emergency medicine provider rapidly identifies the potential for an inhalational injury in order to determine the need for definitive airway management. It is also important that the provider has the necessary skills and systematic approach to manage what is likely to be a difficult airway. Furthermore, providers must then have the knowledge of how to best manage and resuscitate these severely burned patients post-intubation.

At the conclusion of the simulation session, learners will be able to: 1) recognize the indications for intubation in a thermal burn/inhalation injury patient; 2) develop a systematic approach to an inhalational injury airway; and 3) recognize indications for transfer to burn center.

This session was conducted using high-fidelity simulation, followed by a debriefing session and lecture on the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management of inhalational airway injury secondary to a house fire. Debriefing methods may be left to the discretion of participants, but the authors have utilized advocacy-inquiry techniques. This scenario may also be run as an oral board case.

Our residents are provided a survey at the completion of the debriefing session so they may rate different aspects of the simulation, as well as provide qualitative feedback on the scenario. The local institution’s simulation center’s electronic feedback form is based on the Center of Medical Simulation’s Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (DASH) Student Version Short Form2with the inclusion of required qualitative feedback if an element was scored less than a 6 or 7.

Nine learners completed a feedback form. This session received all 6 & 7 scores (consistently effective/very good and extremely effective/outstanding, respectively) other than one isolated 5 score.

This is a cost-effective method for reviewing inhalational airway injury diagnosis and management. The case may be modified for targeted audiences, expected resources, and learning objectives, such as removal of a bronchoscope availability in settings which are expected to be resource-limited. Some readers may choose to focus on other aspects of burn management instead of airway securement such as cyanide and/or carbon monoxide toxicity. We encourage readers to limit the number of learning objectives because airway algorithms and troubleshooting for this scenario was a rich, stand-alone debriefing. There was not enough time to review in detail all nuanced aspects of the burned patient, including: Lund-Browder versus rule of 9’s, modified Brooke versus Parkland formulas, indications for and completion of escharotomies, and/or identification and treatment of cyanide and carbon monoxide toxicity.

Medical simulation, burns, airway emergencies, emergency medicine.

Foreign body ingestions are common complaints in the pediatric emergency department that can be difficult to diagnose in patients with vague symptoms. Magnetic foreign body ingestion can cause significant morbidity and mortality in children. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an imaging modality that can be used to readily diagnose emergent abdominal pathology in a timely matter at the patient’s bedside. In the case described in the report below, a 6-year-old male swallowed multiple round magnets, causing severe abdominal pain. This was detected on POCUS.  An abdominal radiograph also confirmed the POCUS findings of multiple hyperechoic round foreign bodies. Key clinical features and sonographic findings are discussed that may help clinicians using POCUS to identify ingested foreign bodies in Pediatric Emergency Departments.

Point-of-care ultrasound, pediatric emergency medicine, foreign body ingestion.

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a rare emergency department presentation with high morbidity and potential for long-term vision loss. Additionally, this finding requires an expeditious embolic workup for possible systemic pathology (i.e., stroke). The gold standard for diagnosis is visualization of a pale retina with a “cherry-red spot” on the fovea seen under dilated fundoscopic examination. However, performing a dilated fundoscopic exam is often not practical and technically challenging in the emergency room setting. Alternatively, point of care ultrasound is an inexpensive, non-invasive tool that is already highly utilized in the emergency department and can aid in diagnosis. In the case described in this report, a 66-year-old female presented to the emergency department with painless, monocular vision loss. Ultrasound showed a hyperechoic density on the distal aspect of the optic nerve (“retrobulbar spot sign”) and dilated fundoscopic exam showed right eye pale macula with cherry red spot, all consistent with CRAO. Here we present a case that suggests an opportunity for improvement in evaluation of monocular vision loss in the emergency department by adding bedside ocular ultrasound to aid in more rapid diagnosis of CRAO.

Central retinal occlusion, vision loss, point-of-care ultrasound, ocular ultrasound, emboli.