Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jan 1;37(1):23-28.
doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000001439.

The Impact of a Displayed Checklist on Simulated Pediatric Trauma Resuscitations

Erin Hulfish  1 , Maria Carmen G Diaz  2 , Megan Feick  3 , Catherine Messina  4 , Glenn Stryjewski  5
Affiliations

The Impact of a Displayed Checklist on Simulated Pediatric Trauma Resuscitations

Erin Hulfish et al. Pediatr Emerg Care. .

Abstract

Background: Advanced Trauma Life Support resuscitation follows a strict protocolized approach to the initial trauma evaluation. Despite this structure, elements of the primary and secondary assessments can still be omitted. The aim of this study is to determine if a cognitive aid checklist reduces omissions and speeds the time to assessment completion. We additionally investigated if a displayed checklist improved performance further.

Methods: A series of 131 simulated trauma resuscitations were performed. Teams were randomized to 1 of 3 arms (no checklist, handheld checklist, or displayed). The scenarios were recorded and analyzed to determine time to completion and absolute completion of tasks of the primary and secondary survey. The workload of individual team members was assessed via NASA-TLX.

Results: There was no difference in time to completion of surveys among the 3 arms. In the primary survey, there was a nonsignificant increase in the number of completed tasks with the use of the displayed checklist. In the secondary survey, there was a significant improvement in task completion with the displayed checklists with improved evaluation of the pelvis (P = 0.011), lower extremities (P = 0.048), and covering the patient (P = 0.046). There was a significant improvement in performance in those reported among nurse documenters with use of the displayed checklist.

Conclusions: Despite a structured approach to trauma resuscitations, omissions still occur. The use of a displayed checklist improves performance and reduces omissions without delaying assessment. Better compliance with Advanced Trauma Life Support protocols may improve patient outcomes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. van Olden GD, Meeuwis JD, Bolhuis HW, et al. Clinical impact of advanced trauma life support. Am J Emerg Med . 2004;22:522–525.
    1. Ali J, Adam R, Butler AK, et al. Trauma outcome improves following the advanced trauma life support program in a developing country. J Trauma . 1993;34:890–898.
    1. Lubbert PH, Kaasschieter EG, Hoorntje LE, et al. Video registration of trauma team performance in the emergency department: the results of a 2-year analysis in a level 1 trauma center. J Trauma . 2009;67:1412–1420.
    1. Gala PK, Osterhoudt K, Myers SR, et al. Performance in trauma resuscitation at an urban tertiary level i pediatric trauma center. Pediatr Emerg Care . 2016;32:756–762.
    1. Carter EA, Waterhouse LJ, Kovler ML, et al. Adherence to ATLS primary and secondary surveys during pediatric trauma resuscitation. Resuscitation . 2013;84:66–71.

LinkOut - more resources