Simulation Equipment

CHAPTER 3 Simulation Equipment




Dave ran into a little trouble with his equipment on 2001, A Space Odyssey. First, the equipment shut off life support for his fellow space travelers; then it snipped the air hose to Dave’s partner; and then the darn thing wouldn’t let Dave back into the ship. And Dave had forgotten to bring along the helmet to his space suit.


Some equipment malfunctions are more vexing than others.


Fortunately, Dave knew his equipment inside and out and found a way to blast back into the ship and shut down the decidedly antisocial HAL.


To date, no simulation equipment has committed mass astronaut-o-cide. But we are wise to take 2001’s lessons to heart.




So this chapter focuses on lesson 1: knowing the simulation equipment. In the back of our minds, though, we’ll be ever mindful of lesson 2—that the simulator instructor is the key element to any simulation scenario.


What’s out there in simulation equipment land? This chapter focuses on the Big Kahunas in anesthesia training—full-service computerized anesthesia mannequins, but it’s worth mentioning all the other “toys” out there that are used to train medical personnel.



PARTIAL TASK TRAINERS


The devices known as partial task trainers let people train for one specific task—some easy, some quite complicated.



























So there’s no shortage of gizmos and gadgets to train doctors in doing specific tasks. As noted in the last item—interventional cardiology simulator—there are also a host of “flat screen computer simulators.” You can interview a patient, order tests, run codes, examine lab tests. What can’t you do on a computer?




In surgery, more and more detailed “haptic” trainers are coming into use. “Haptic” means that the trainer gives you the actual “feel” of the tissue and the procedure. Quite realistic and a great way to train surgeons.


In obstetrics, they have a vaginal delivery mannequin capable of generating all kinds of problems—occiput anterior, shoulder dystocia.


In a perfect world and in a perfect simulation center, you could imagine a kind of “amusement park” where every partial task and flat screen computer simulator is present.









Room 7 opens up another consideration in the “perfect simulation center”—standardized patients.




A standardized patient is an actor who plays out a role from a script. This script can detail any aspect you want a resident to learn about:








Because you want your residents to be able to handle “anything,” you can make use of standardized patients to handle, well, “anything.” Let your imagination run wild and come up with any possible interpersonal interaction your resident might ever encounter. Then, using the standardized patient, you “simulate” this interpersonal interaction.


Simulation centers do not live on mannequins alone.






But there’s no getting around it, the centerpiece of the simulation center is the anesthesia mannequin, so here goes.


What’s out there?


There are three big players: one lame duck company and two that are still very much part of the action.


The lame duck—MEDSIM Eagle


You will still see some of these sturdy players out there.


These anesthesia simulators are no longer made or serviced; they are (dab your eyes here) “orphan simulators.” MEDSIM Eagle doesn’t even exist anymore; the company is now just MEDSIM, and they only make ultrasound simulators. (You can try contacting the company (www.medsim.com), but don’t be surprised if no one knows what you are talking about when you mention their simulator.)


However, these simulators are built like brick houses, so they last and last. “Why throw it out?” its owners say, “I’ll service it myself and keep this baby going and going!” The MEDSIM Eagle simulator has a drug recognition system, like the METI simulator.


Harvard’s simulation center has one of these simulators, and you sense that they love keeping it going. Picture some diehard Volkswagen beetle owner keeping his 1965 bug alive, engine rehaul after engine rehaul, never giving up on the old car.


The two players: METI (Sarasota, FL; www.meti.com) and Laerdal (Denmark; www.Laerdal.com).


Each has its pluses and minuses, each has its champions and detractors, so we’ll just go down the line and see how they add up. Your best bet if you’re considering laying down cash for these simulators (it’s serious bread) is to take them for test runs and see which fits your style better.




DRUG RECOGNITION SYSTEM



















May 31, 2016 | Posted by in ANESTHESIA | Comments Off on Simulation Equipment

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