Staying alive—training with anaesthetists

An effective working relationship between obstetricians and anaesthetists is crucial for patient safety in maternity care. Anaesthetists' skills and scope of clinical practice complement those of obstetricians, particularly during obstetric emergencies. Anaesthetists also bring expertise in resuscitation, critical care, and a training programme that is underpinned by non-technical as well as technical skills. Through training together, obstetricians and anaesthetists can help plug one another's knowledge gaps, identify each other's blind spots, aid mutual decision-making, and share relevant national guidance between specialties. Training also aids the development of a shared mental model, which contributes to improved teamwork. To be effective, this training should involve the whole team, be conducted in-house, be used to tackle local as well as national priorities, and be repeated regularly.     

沙盘模拟在产科专科培训的应用初探

目的探讨沙盘模拟培训在产科专科培训应用中的可行性和有效性。 方法培训班以沙盘模拟形式对学员进行产科急危重症与助产技术培训，采用"沙盘推演—学员操作—导师点评—导师演示"的培训模式，内容包括子痫、产后出血、肩难产、阴道助产和新生儿窒息复苏。选取200名学员为研究对象，并随机分成5个团队，培训前后对学员进行理论知识和操作技能考核，根据考核标准由导师组进行打分，并对每个团队的抢救流程进行考核评分。同时培训前后发放调查问卷对培训课程进行反馈。 结果经培训后，学员的理论考核成绩(91.1±14.5)分较培训前(75.6±24.0)分明显提高，差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。各操作模块考核前后成绩分别为：子痫(73.7±5.6)分与(90.6±3.9)分，产后出血(71.2±8.7)分与(88.9±4.8)分，阴道助产(70.1±7.9)分与(90.0±4.8)分，肩难产(74.6±5.7)分与(91.5±2.3)分，新生儿窒息(73.2±4.7)分与(91.2±2.5)分，培训后成绩明显提高，差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。团队考核的Topsis分析结果显示，团队3在多项指标上都是最优秀的，综合排名第一名，尤其是方案设计。团队5在临床技能表现突出，在团队配合和患者沟通方面做得也比较好。团队2和团队4各项指标都表现不足。 结论团队3大部分成员来自三甲医院，经常参加产科模拟培训班，因此总体素质较高，而团队2和团队4来自基层医院的成员居多，接受培训的次数较少，因此成绩偏弱，尤其在流程、沟通和团队配合等方面，还需要加强培训。沙盘模拟培训作为一种新型的体验式培训模式，具有创新性、互动性、趣味性，并具有实战性，在产科急危重症专科培训中具有较大的发展前景。     

Risk factors for primary postpartum haemorrhage

The objective of the study was to determine which background factors predispose women to primary postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) at the Obafemi Awolowo University Hospital. The study consisted of 101 women who developed PPH after a normal vaginal delivery and 107 women with normal unassisted vaginal delivery without PPH Both cases and controls were investigated for sociodemographic risk factors, medical and obstetric histories, antenatal events and labour and delivery outcomes. Data were abstracted from the medical and delivery records and risks were estimated by multivariate logistic regression. The results of the unvariate analysis revealed a number of potential risk factors for PPH but after adjustment by logistic regression three factors remained significant. These were prolonged second and third stages of labour and non-use of oxytocics after vaginal delivery. Previously hypothesised risk factors for PPH such as grand multiparity, primigravidity and previous episodes of PPH were not significantly associated with PPH. We conclude that primary PPH in this population is mostly associated with prolonged second and third stages of labour and non use of oxytocics. Efforts to reduce the incidence of PPH should not only be directed at proper management of labour but also training and retraining of primary health care workers and alternative health care providers in the early referral of patients with prolonged labour.     

Impact of simulation and team training on postpartum hemorrhage management in non-academic centers

Objective: Prompt recognition and response to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) are vital in preventing maternal morbidity and mortality. We conducted a multi-center study to evaluate in situ simulation and team training for PPH among experienced clinical teams in non-academic hospitals in urban and rural communities.

Methods: A longitudinal intervention study was performed in six Oregon community hospitals. All teams responded to an in situ simulated delivery and postpartum hemorrhage using trained actors and an obstetric birthing simulator, followed by a debriefing and training session. The simulation scenario was then repeated in 9–12?months. All sessions were digitally video recorded and independently reviewed by two obstetricians using a structured evaluation form. PPH management including clinical response times were compared before and after team training using Student’s paired t-test and McNemar’s test.

Results: Twenty-two teams completed paired case simulations. Team training significantly improved response times in the management of PPH, including the recognition of PPH, time to administer first medication, performance of uterine massage and time to administer second medication. Medical management (use of three indicated medications) improved after training from 27.3% to 63.6%, p?=?0.01.

Conclusions: Simulation and team training significantly improved postpartum hemorrhage response times among clinically experienced community labor and delivery teams.     

Midwives’ experiences of working in an obstetric high dependency unit: A qualitative study

Objectivesto understand the challenges experienced by midwives providing obstetric high dependency care and identify the training they perceive is needed for work in an obstetric high dependency unit.Designsixteen midwives who worked in the obstetric high dependency unit participated in one of three focus groups. Focus groups lasted 60–90 minutes and were conducted in the workplace and facilitated by author (IE). Data were digitally recorded, transcribed and analysed manually by author (IE), specifically using a ‘codebook’ model to generate codes, categories and themes.Settinga purpose built, two-bed obstetric high dependency unit located in the delivery suite of a large, urban tertiary teaching hospital in New Zealand.Findingsfive themes were conceptualised: Theme 1: ‘high dependency care is not our bread and butter’; the midwives felt that working in the obstetric high dependency work did not constitute ‘normal’ midwifery work. Theme 2: ‘we are family… embracing the baby and partner in HDU’; the midwives recognised that an obstetric high dependency unit enabled the mother and infant to be cared for together, was beneficial for maternal psychosocial wellbeing, and supported mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding. Theme 3: ‘primum non nocere; First, do no harm’; the midwives voiced concern that they lacked the skills and training to provide obstetric high dependency care and considered this a potential risk to sick women in their care. Theme 4: ‘graceful swans and headless chickens’; the midwives reported feelings of stress, anxiety, fear and of being overwhelmed by the demands of obstetric high dependency care. The more experienced midwives were able to portray calmness and poise despite lots going on beneath the surface. This was in contrast to other, often less experienced midwives, who appeared confused and less organised. Theme 5: ‘please sir, can I have some more training?’; the midwives unanimously sought training in the provision of obstetric high dependency care and saw facilitation of training to be a responsibility of the hospital.Key conclusionsmidwives who are competent in obstetric high dependency care are well placed to provide holistic care to sick women within an obstetric high dependency unit. Midwives found this work challenging and identified the need for specific knowledge and skills beyond those required in the provision of care to well women. The midwives sought post-registration training in obstetric high dependency care. These findings are consistent with other studies reported in the literature.Implications for practicepost-registration training must be made available to midwives providing high dependency care to sick women to ensure they have the specialised skills and knowledge for practice. Responsibility to facilitate training rests with hospitals providing this service.     

Diagnosis and treatment of peripartum bleeding

Severe peripartum hemorrhage (PPH) contributes to maternal morbidity and mortality and is one of the most frequent emergencies in obstetrics, occurring at a prevalence of 0.5-5.0%. Detection of antepartum risk factors is essential in order to implement preventive measures. Proper training of obstetric staff and publication of recommendations and guidelines can effectively reduce the frequency of PPH and its resulting morbidity and mortality. Therefore, an interdisciplinary expert committee was formed, with members from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, to summarize recent scientific findings. An up-to-date presentation of the importance of embolization and of the diagnosis of coagulopathy in PPH is provided. Furthermore, the committee recommends changes in the management of PPH including new surgical options and the off-label use of recombinant factor VIIa.     

产科模拟人在子痫急救演练中的运用

子痫属于产科危急重症,急救处理恰当与否对母胎预后有极大影响。但子痫在平时临床工作中较为少见,从而导致医护人员对其急救方法掌握不足。采用产科模拟人进行子痫急救演练具有真实、可控、可重复等特点,可将一般急诊处理、控制抽搐、控制血压、适时终止妊娠等子痫急救方案通过病例编写以模拟真实急救,让参演者更好地进入各自角色完成演练。演练目的除了提升参演者的急救技能外,还注重提升团队的协作能力。通过应用产科模拟人进行子痫演练,参演者能在短时间内最大程度提升个人急救技能及团队协作意识。     

Skills training for operative vaginal birth

Skilled, safe operative vaginal birth can substantially improve maternal and neonatal outcomes arising from complications in the second stage of labour and should be available in a diverse range of maternity settings for women across the world. Operative vaginal births are complex, requiring a combination of good technical skills, non-technical skills as well as sensitivity from the accoucher. It is axiomatic that accouchers should be adequately trained and simulation-based training is a promising strategy to improve outcomes and increase the rates of operative vaginal birth. However, not all training is effective and although there are likely to be important lessons from other areas of simulation-based obstetric emergencies training that are generalisable, more research is required to identify effective training interventions for operative vaginal birth. Training for operative vaginal birth should also be operationalised for maximum spread and benefit.     

Postpartum hemorrhage: Anesthesia management

As major stakeholders in the labor and delivery suite, obstetric anesthesiologists are frequently called upon to provide their unique skill sets and expertise to the management of postpartum hemorrhage, whether anticipated or not. Essential contributions of the anesthesia team ideally begin in the antenatal period with referral of women at high risk of postpartum hemorrhage to an outpatient obstetric anesthesia clinic where a tailored plan for both urgent or scheduled delivery for women with an anticipated complex delivery can be formulated. Maternal safety can be greatly improved if comorbidities are identified early and strategies to address these issues are proposed and known by the obstetric anesthesia team. Participation of the obstetric anesthesiology team is crucial in the development of systematic approaches that are customized to each institution and should comprise the creation and dissemination of algorithms and guidelines that are anesthesia specific, including detailed protocols for the labor and delivery unit and operating rooms, at large. Because management of postpartum hemorrhage requires a coordinated team effort, and may not always be planned, the anesthesia team should be prepared at all times to provide the appropriate anesthetic management and advanced cardiovascular support. The involvement of the anesthesia team should not only be limited to the immediate intrapartum period, but should also extend to the postpartum period where adequate anesthetic/analgesic plans will enhance maternal safety and recovery.     

Obstetric Emergencies: Role of Obstetric Drill for a Better Maternal Outcome

Objective

To evaluate factors contributing to obstetric emergencies, analyze the fetomaternal outcome and role of obstetric drill in facing these emergencies effectively.

Material and Method

Out of 10,892 deliveries, a total of 520 women were included in this prospective study. Analysis of emergency obstetric conditions was done by evaluating incidence, various contributing factors, and fetomaternal outcome. Obstetric drill was conducted among residents repetitively. Pre drill and post drill assessment of confidence in clinical, knowledge, and team work skills were compared by χ² test. Impact of drill on severe obstetric morbidities was noted.

Observations

Incidence of obstetric emergencies was found to be 4.88 %. Maternal and perinatal mortality was seen in 4.23 and 37.11 %, respectively, of these emergency obstetric women. Impact of drill showed an increase in score in knowledge (p < 0.019), confidence (p, 0.001), and team work (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Active implementation of emergency obstetric care and incorporation of obstetric drill lays a strong foundation for safe fetomaternal outcome.     

Effect of obstetric team training on team performance and medical technical skills: a randomised controlled trial

Please cite this paper as: Fransen A, van de Ven J, Merién A, de Wit-Zuurendonk L, Houterman S, Mol B, Oei S. Effect of obstetric team training on team performance and medical technical skills: a randomised controlled trial. BJOG 2012;119:1387-1393. Objective To determine whether obstetric team training in a medical simulation centre improves the team performance and utilisation of appropriate medical technical skills of healthcare professionals. Design Cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting The Netherlands. Sample The obstetric departments of 24 Dutch hospitals. Methods The obstetric departments were randomly assigned to a 1-day session of multiprofessional team training in a medical simulation centre or to no such training. Team training was given with high-fidelity mannequins by an obstetrician and a communication expert. More than 6?months following training, two unannounced simulated scenarios were carried out in the delivery rooms of all 24 obstetric departments. The scenarios, comprising a case of shoulder dystocia and a case of amniotic fluid embolism, were videotaped. The team performance and utilisation of appropriate medical skills were evaluated by two independent experts. Main outcome measures Team performance evaluated with the validated Clinical Teamwork Scale (CTS) and the employment of two specific obstetric procedures for the two clinical scenarios in the simulation (delivery of the baby with shoulder dystocia in the maternal all-fours position and conducting a perimortem caesarean section within 5?minutes for the scenario of amniotic fluid embolism). Results Seventy-four obstetric teams from 12 hospitals in the intervention group underwent teamwork training between November 2009 and July 2010. The teamwork performance in the training group was significantly better in comparison to the nontraining group (median CTS score: 7.5 versus 6.0, respectively; P?=?0.014). The use of the predefined obstetric procedures for the two clinical scenarios was also significantly more frequent in the training group compared with the nontraining group (83 versus 46%, respectively; P?=?0.009). Conclusions Team performance and medical technical skills may be significantly improved after multiprofessional obstetric team training in a medical simulation centre.     

The active components of effective training in obstetric emergencies

Confidential enquiries into poor perinatal outcomes have identified deficiencies in team working as a common factor and have recommended team training in the management of obstetric emergencies. Isolated aviation-based team training programmes have not been associated with improved perinatal outcomes when applied to labour ward settings, whereas obstetric-specific training interventions with integrated teamwork have been associated with clinical improvements. This commentary reviews obstetric emergency training programmes from hospitals that have demonstrated improved outcomes to determine the active components of effective training. The common features identified were: institution-level incentives to train; multi-professional training of all staff in their units; teamwork training integrated with clinical teaching and use of high fidelity simulation models. Local training also appeared to facilitate self-directed infrastructural change.     

Interdisciplinary Skills Review Program to Improve Team Responses During Postpartum Hemorrhage

Objective

To develop an interdisciplinary, interactive, skills review program to improve team responses during a postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).

Management of type III female genital mutilation in Birmingham,UK: A retrospective audit

Objectivesto audit clinical management of women with type III female genital mutilation (FGM) according to local guidelines. Secondary objectives were to describe the population that uses the service and compare obstetric outcomes of intrapartum deinfibulation and antenatal deinfibulation.Designretrospective audit.Settinga hospital midwifery-led FGM specialist service in Birmingham, UK.Participants253 women with type III FGM who gave birth between January 2008 and December 2009Methodsretrospective case analysis using patient records.Main outcome measuresproportion of women managed according to locally agreed criteria for the management of FGM; obstetric outcomes including perineal tears, episiotomy rates, estimated blood loss, infant APGAR scores and indications for caesarean section.Findings91 (36%) women booked into antenatal care after 16 weeks gestation. Only 26 (10.3%) were managed fully according to guidelines. The area with poorest performance was child protection, where the presence of normal genitalia was documented in only 52 (38.8%) of medical notes following birth of a female infant. The majority of women (214, 84.6%) had been deinfibulated in a previous pregnancy. Of the 39 infibulated at booking, only 9 (23.1%) were deinfibulated antenatally, the rest opted for intrapartum deinfibulation. Women who had intrapartum deinfibulation had a higher average blood loss and more tears than those deinfibulated antenatally, although this was not statistically significant.Conclusions and implications for practicealternative systems should be considered to improve documentation of child protection related information. Further research is needed to confirm or refute the adverse findings among those that delayed deinfibulation.     

Entrenamiento de equipos interdisciplinares en urgencias obstétricas mediante simulación clínica

Objectives

To describe the healthcare team training in obstetric emergencies using clinical simulation with an interdisciplinary approach, developed at the Hospital virtual Valdecilla.

Material and methods

The program was aimed at health professionals involved in emergency obstetric care (obstetricians and gynecologists, anesthesiologists, intensivists and midwives). A working team was established to define the objectives, design the scenarios, and coordinate the completion of each course. Two simulation rooms were available with patient simulators, control rooms and audiovisual recording systems, an analysis room, a multipurpose classroom, and diverse medical and surgical equipment. To analyze the results of the program, the participants completed an evaluation survey.

Results

A total of 30 members of clinical teams underwent training in the clinical entities most frequently involved in cases of maternal mortality (postpartum hemorrhage, amniotic fluid embolism and eclampsia), selected from the results of a survey of maternal death mailed to 69 Spanish hospitals. Each course consisted of three clinical cases performed in the operating room, postpartum and birthing room, followed by a debriefing session. Participants rated the courses as highly useful, highlighted the opportunity provided by clinical simulation to practice without risk and to train teamwork skills, and would recommend their peers to undergo the same training.

Conclusions

Training of healthcare teams in obstetric emergencies using simulation with an interdisciplinary approach provides safe and effective practice of diagnostic and treatment algorithms, as well as of communication and teamwork skills, before these situations are met in daily practice.     

Is it Time to Rejuvenate the Forceps?

The obstetric forceps was designed to assist extraction of the foetal head and thereby accomplish delivery of the foetus in the second stage of labour. More than 700 types of obstetric forceps have been described. An understanding of the anatomy of the birth canal and the foetal head is a prerequisite to becoming a skilled and safe user of forceps. Operative vaginal delivery rates have remained stable at between 10 and 13 %. The last few decades has seen a rise in caesarean section, along with the introduction and safe use of the vacuum extractor. This has resulted in a decline both in the use of the obstetric forceps as well as in the training for the same. The forceps is less likely to fail when used as the primary instrument thereby reducing the need for the sequential use of two instruments which increase the morbidity of the neonate. Perineal trauma is more likely to occur with the use of the forceps but the evidence is that the maternal concern is less when compared to the ventouse. Simulation training is an important part of obstetric training. Application of forceps blades in the simulation setting can improve the skill level of obstetricians. The use of the forceps should not be decreasing and more senior involvement in training is necessary so that juniors develop the proper skills to perform forceps delivery in a competent and safe manner. It is vital that the art of the forceps is not lost to future generations of obstetricians and the women they care for.     

Change in knowledge of midwives and obstetricians following obstetric emergency training: a randomised controlled trial of local hospital, simulation centre and teamwork training

Objectives  To explore the effect of obstetric emergency training on knowledge. Furthermore, to assess if acquisition of knowledge is influenced by the training setting or teamwork training.
Design  A prospective randomised controlled trial.
Setting  Training was completed in six hospitals in the South West of England, UK and at the Bristol Medical Simulation Centre, UK.
Population  Midwives and obstetric doctors working for the participating hospitals were eligible for inclusion in the study. A total of 140 participants (22 junior and 23 senior doctors, 47 junior and 48 senior midwives) were studied.
Methods  Participants were randomised to one of four obstetric emergency training interventions: (1) 1-day course at local hospital, (2) 1-day course at simulation centre, (3) 2-day course with teamwork training at local hospital and (4) 2-day course with teamwork training at simulation centre.
Main outcome measures  Change in knowledge was assessed by a 185 question Multiple-Choice Questionnaire (MCQ) completed up to 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after the training intervention.
Results  There was a significant increase in knowledge following training; mean MCQ score increased by 20.6 points (95% CI 18.1–23.1, P < 0.001). Overall, 123/133 (92.5%) participants increased their MCQ score. There was no significant effect on the MCQ score of either the location of training (two-way analysis of variants P = 0.785) or the inclusion of teamwork training ( P = 0.965).
Conclusions  Practical, multiprofessional, obstetric emergency training increased midwives' and doctors' knowledge of obstetric emergency management. Furthermore, neither the location of training, in a simulation centre or in local hospitals, nor the inclusion of teamwork training made any significant difference to the acquisition of knowledge in obstetric emergencies.     

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of trained traditional birth attendants in the Gambia in the prevention, recognition and management of postpartum haemorrhage

OBJECTIVES: to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices and the potential role of trained Gambian traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in the prevention, recognition and management of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). DESIGN: a qualitative, reflective approach using semi-structured interviews followed by group discussions. SETTING: poorly-resourced rural villages in The Gambia, West Africa. PARTICIPANTS: 22 trained TBAs and their supervisors from 12 villages. FINDINGS: the TBAs recognised complications such as retained placenta and excessive blood loss and were well aware of the need to refer these women to a health facility quickly. Delay in referral was often due to late call-out of the TBA or lack of transport. Although the TBAs did not know the causes of excessive blood loss, they knew that anaemia was a risk factor for dying from PPH. The TBAs were keen to improve their knowledge and to participate in further training. KEY CONCLUSIONS: although all the TBAs were illiterate, information from training programmes had usually been incorporated into their knowledge and practice. While the local infrastructure remains poor, home deliveries and delayed referrals will continue and interventions for PPH need to be effective at the site of delivery i.e. in the woman's home. These Gambian TBAs have the potential to contribute to the management of PPH in these situations.Implications for practice: these Gambian TBAs could be trained to implement other practices relevant to prevention of PPH in the primary care setting. Linking together and maximising the skills of all health workers is important to reduce PPH mortality in home births in this setting.     

Maternal mortality in Bavaria between 1983 and 2000

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to identify the main causes of maternal mortality within a developed country to refocus and enhance the delivery of obstetric services. STUDY DESIGN: From January 1, 1983, to December 31, 2000, 309 maternal deaths occurring in Bavaria were documented and classified in a prospective observational study. The data sources were the civil registry, confidential reports by members of the Bavarian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and public information. Direct obstetric death, indirect obstetric death, and coincidental death account for 164, 67, and 78 cases, respectively. They were expressed as the maternal mortality ratio (MMR: maternal deaths/100,000 live births) over the 18-year study period divided into three 6-year intervals 1983 to 1988, 1989 to 1994, and 1995 to 2000. RESULTS: The direct obstetric mortality ratio (DOMR: direct obstetric deaths/100,000 live births) decreased from 11.3 in the study period 1983 to 1988 to 5.4 in the study period 1995 to 2000 (P<.0005), mainly because of a reduction in antepartal and intrapartal deaths. The main cause of direct obstetric death was thromboembolism, including amniotic fluid embolism, which remained unchanged over the study period; other causes of direct obstetric death decreased markedly but not significantly. CONCLUSION: Careful analysis of the Bavarian maternal mortality data identified postpartum maternal deaths to be unchanged during the study period. In particular, effective prevention and treatment of thromboembolism should be a prior focus for obstetric care.