Local medical professionals participate in pediatric trauma simulation

Local medical professionals participate in pediatric trauma simulation

By Kasey Edge-Faur

Anaconda Leader Copy Editor

Thirty medical professionals - including EMT firefighters from the Anaconda Fire Department and medical staff from the Community Hospital of Anaconda - got a chance to see how they would respond if they were faced with a child with acute trauma with the help of nonprofit Simulation in Motion MT. The participants from CHA were from the ER floor as well as surgery doctors and nurses.

Lee Roberts, Simulation in Motion MT’s program director, and simulation specialist Amber Olson visited the emergency CHA emergency room Wednesday with a high-fidelity mannequin, fake blood and a well-thought-out storyline for participants to work through.

The mannequin simulates breathing, has pulses, moves, has pupils that dilate and constrict and can make noises. Roberts controlled a machine that simulated what a medical professional might see on a vital monitor such as blood pressure, oxygen saturation and heart rate. He also was able to provide ultrasound and X-Ray pictures to the groups going through the simulation.

Simulation in Motion MT’s mission is to bring high-fidelity simulations to clinicians across Montana to improve patient outcomes by exposing them to the scenario designed to familiarize them with medical situations they may not have encountered before that may contain an emotional component.

The event was funded by Montana Area Health Education Center (AHEC) which is based out of the University of Montana, to collect demographics to see who is participating in the simulation and where they’re coming from experience-wise. AHEC funded visits to other areas in Southwest Montana as well.

The scenario, written by Olson, centered around a four-year-old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder named Joey who gets hit by a car in a parking lot.

Roberts brought in what’s called a Carter Kit sensory bag for first responders to use when dealing with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, including noise reducing earmuffs, sunglasses, weighted blankets, and fidget toys to help calm them down and reduce stimulation when they are stimming, which is short for self-stimulatory behavior and refers to repetitive movements, sounds, or actions that people use to regulate emotions, manage sensory input, or express themselves.

In one group that participated in a simulation, no one knew what stimming or a Carter Kit was. Roberts said they are available for purchase online, or you can make one yourself.

Joey is played by the mannequin and Olson played his mother. Roberts told the participants at the beginning to treat the mannequin as if it was a real child and Olson as if she were a real mother.

At the end of one of the simulations, one group ended up calling a life flight for Joey from Butte.

Roberts said he did a simulation with participants in Philipsburg the day before and would be traveling to Dillon next week.

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