Efficacy of a Pediatric Airway Course for Otolaryngology Residents

Abstract

Objectives:

2012 marks the 10th anniversary of a popular hands-on bronchoscopy course held annually for otolaryngology residents in Singapore. We set out to determine objectively the benefit of establishing such a course in a well-rounded residency program by assessing the residents’ self-perceived confidence level pertaining to management of the pediatric airway before and after the course.

Methods:

A self-assessment style survey was administered to residents who attended the 2012 Pediatric Airway Course conducted by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore. The 2-day course consisted of didactic lectures, practice of bronchoscopy techniques in a wet laboratory, and live surgery demonstration by visiting experts. Residents completed pre- and post-course self-assessments of their knowledge and skills pertaining to management of the pediatric airway. In addition, feedback was collected on the efficacy of the course. Descriptive statistics were obtained on pre- and post-course data and were analyzed using T-testing.

Results:

A total of 20 residents completed the survey. Following the course, there was a statistically significant improvement in the residents’ self-assessment of their knowledge (P < 0.001) and skills (P < 0.001) pertaining to management of the pediatric airway. In addition, 100% of the residents agreed or strongly agreed that the course helped them learn skills and gain confidence in the management of the pediatric airway.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that a 2-day dedicated pediatric airway course improves otolaryngology residents’ overall confidence in managing the pediatric airway. Future studies could include an objective assessment of the residents’ bronchoscopy skills following the same 2 day course.