Background: The care of rural trauma patients in northern Alberta can be extremely challenging because of the vast geographic area, the limited access to health care facilities and the lack of adequate resources to manage severe injuries. Identifying gaps in equipment and personnel in rural centres can provide opportunities for improving the care of injured patients in these environments. We conducted a survey based on Canadian Accreditation Council quality indicators to evaluate trauma infrastructure and human resources in rural centres across northern Alberta. Methods: A standardized survey was developed to assess the availability of trauma-specific equipment and personnel across the prehospital and emergency department (ED) settings. The survey was distributed to 50 peripheral hospitals biannually from January 2017 to September 2018. Two-tailed paired t tests were used to evaluate changes in survey responses; a p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The survey response rate was 100%. By the end of the study period, there were significant improvements in the number of providers (p = 0.04), nurses (p = 0.01) and dedicated trauma resuscitation bays (p = 0.04) in the ED for managing injured patients. There were also significant increases in the availability of equipment, including advanced airway management tools (p = 0.02), rapid infusion devices (p = 0.02) and warmers (p = 0.04). Access to x-ray equipment (p = 0.03) and computed tomography (CT) scanners (p = 0.04) as well as equipment to support telehealth and teleconferencing (p = 0.04) increased during the study period. Access to, and supply of, blood products also increased significantly (p = 0.02) during the study period. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that the trauma resources of rural health care centres may be evaluated in a standardized fashion centres, and the results point to opportunities to remedy gaps in equipment and personnel. Our methods may be applied to any trauma network that serves geographically large areas with a sparse distribution of health care facilities, to provide critical information for the optimization of resources in rural trauma. Contexte : Les soins aux patients victimes de traumatismes en région rurale dans le nord de l'Alberta peuvent être très difficiles en raison de la superficie de la région, de l'accès limité aux établissements de santé et du manque de ressources pour soigner adéquatement les blessures graves. En repérant les lacunes en équipement et en personnel dans les établissements en région rurale, on peut créer des occasions d'améliorer les soins aux patients blessés dans ces milieux. Nous avons mené un sondage fondé sur les indicateurs de qualité du Conseil d'accréditation canadien pour évaluer les infrastructures et les ressources humaines en traumatologie dans les établissements des régions rurales du nord de l'Alberta. Méthodes : Un sondage standardisé a été créé pour évaluer la disponibilité des équipements et des ressources humaines en traumatologie en contexte préhosp...

Background:In situ simulation shows promise as an effective training tool for trauma; however, its disruptive nature is a major downside. Although the benefits of in situ simulation in trauma have been described, the potential perceived harms of running an unscheduled simulation using working staff are unknown. The aim of this study is to assess trauma team members' perceptions regarding the value of in situ simulation relative to its perceived impact on patient care. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal survey study including all members of the multidisciplinary trauma team at the Halifax Infirmary, a level 1 trauma centre in Nova Scotia. Following an in situ simulation, participants were given a 10-question survey with answers on a 5-point Likert scale. Results: A total of 61 surveys were collected. Survey respondents were grouped into allied health (nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists; 44%), learners (residents and medical students; 44%) and other (staff physicians, those who did not specify their role; 12%). Respondents felt that participating in the in situ simulation delayed (28%) or compromised patient care (5%) infrequently. No respondents felt that patients were harmed. In situ simulation was felt to identify important safety issues (70%), improve trauma team communication (89%) and improve trauma patient care (89%). The in situ simulation was considered enjoyable (92%) and was identified as a good educational experience (95%). It was felt by participants that simulations should continue to be done in situ in the trauma bay rather than in a sim laboratory (54%). Conclusion:The trauma in situ simulation program at the Halifax Infirmary is not felt to cause delays or compromise patient care. The program is considered to be a good learning opportunity that identifies safety issues and improves patient care. Epidemiology of submersion injuries inCanadian children and adolescents: 1990-2018.

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