The brand new Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Medical Simulation Centre will this Friday be used for the first time by doctors and nurses from all over the state.
The course on offer is a collaboration between Dubbo Base Hospital Anaesthetics Department and the RFDS, and focuses on how to gain access to a patient’s airway when conventional measures are not appropriate.
The next step in this situation may be surgical; cutting a hole in the front of the neck, either in the operating theatre, emergency department or an aeromedical setting. It is this process that will be the focus of the training.
“It can be a challenging situation for a medical professional when measures like intubation or ventilation with a face mask don’t work,” said Team Leader of Emergency Services at the RFDS, Dr Peter Brendt.
“That is why this training is so important. It can mean the difference between life and death for a patient with a complex presentation. Our new high-tech simulation centre here in Dubbo can bring this situation to life for medical professionals and equip them to deal with real emergency situations.”
The training will feature case-based discussion, high-fidelity simulations with patient models, skills training and the use of a wearable trainer, which is worn on the neck of a colleague enabling the incision of the ‘fake’ neck.
This practical course is designed for Anaesthetists, GPs, Emergency Medicine Specialists, and those working in retrieval medicine. Participants will learn the skills and steps required to manage a crisis utilising cutting-edge and incredibly lifelike methods.
ENDS
For further information, images, or to arrange an interview with Dr Brendt, please contact Lily Cardis on 0436 622 802.
