AIIMS Nagpur conducts Pediatric Advanced Life Support Workshop

“The final path to death is common in sick children irrespective of the root cause! Hence, if we understand this path and focus on the correctible problems, we can evaluate, identify and treat any and every sick child!”, pointed out Dr Vijaykumar Guduru, a veteran pediatrician and teacher from Hyderabad, and also past Central Zonal Coordinator of the Advanced Life Support program of Indian Academy of Pediatrics. He was speaking at a 2-days workshop on Basic and Advanced Pediatric Life Support organized by the Department of Pediatrics, AIIMS Nagpur.

Dr Meenakshi Girish, Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatrics at AIIMS Nagpur said “It is being recognized worldwide that hands-on skills training improves outcomes. We have always believed in improving outcomes through conducting meaningful training programs. We intend to conduct this workshop every year.”

Dr Akash Bang, Professor of Pediatrics, a faculty and the main organizer of the course, elaborated on how cardiac rhythm disturbances can cause sudden collapse and cardiac arrest. He explained how to identify and manage various cardiac arrhythmias in children.

Dr Abhay Jain from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar explained how to identify the immediate problems in sick children without wasting time while Dr Pawan Jain, a senior pediatrician from Raipur talked on how to break sad news and how to support families in coping with the death of their loved ones. Dr Abhijit Choudhary, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, explained the significance of a healthy and effective team dynamics, which was enacted in the form of a role play followed by discussion. Dr Rohini Ingole from Nagpur explained how a patient with shock should be treated.

The workshop focused on hands-on skills transfer. Dr Abhijit and Dr Pawan demonstrated various devices to provide oxygen in sick children and made all participants practice the skill to insert a tracheal tube.            Dr Vijay and Dr Rohini gave demonstrations on mannequins about how to identify and treat children with shock and how to put a needle in bone to start fluid therapy in cases where veins are not easily accessible. Dr Akash and Dr Abhay made all the participants identify various abnormal heart rhythms and helped them acquire the skills of giving cardiac shock to treat cardiac arrest due to fibrillation.

The workshop was attended by pediatricians, and pediatric residents from all over Vidarbha who gave very positive feedback and thanked the department and institute for organizing the course. “Pediatrics Department has always taken initiatives to organize such workshops which not only cover theoretical knowledge but also aim to impart hands-on skills in innovative ways. I am happy that the budding pediatricians across Vidarbha will benefit with this workshop,” said Dr Prashant P, Executive Director & CEO of AIIMS Nagpur.