We are planning an Anesthesia Safety Workshop in Kenya preceding the international CANECSA anesthesia conference, with support from the non-profit Resurge International. The structure of our workshop will be as follows: our morning sessions will be focused on case-based discussions (PBLDs) covering common Resurge operations, such as cleft lip/palate and burns. These would be followed by afternoon rotations through smaller, interactive, hands-on workshops covering key practical skills, including:
-Advanced airway management (especially pediatric scenarios like laryngospasm)
-Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for line placement and regional
-Clinical decision-making using cognitive aids (eg, Stanford's Emergency Manuals)
-Vital Signs Directed Therapy protocols in the OR and PACU
The topics were chosen with input from the African anesthesia providers. These small group interactive teaching will enable the anesthesia providers to improve patient safety and improve perioperative outcomes.
This anesthesia safety workshop will train approximately 15 African anesthesia providers affiliated with ReSurge operation sites.
The countries the providers are from include: Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi.
The project aims to improve perioperative patient outcomes at ReSurge global operating sites by enhancing anesthesia safety standards, reducing morbidity and mortality, and improving the quality of anesthesia care provided by local practitioners through targeted education.
We plan to record our sessions on Zoom to broaden our reach and help the attendees take the teaching home to their colleagues.
Our group of 4 anesthesiologists taught a two day workshop to 18 anesthesia providers from 7 African nations. The focus was on anesthesia safety, including pediatric airway challenges, ultrasound skills, burn care, and pediatric emergency scenarios.
