Transcript Title

Building Paediatric Life Support Training in Lusaka
The Brighton-Lusaka Link APLS Project
E. McClenaghan, P. Tyndall, P. Seddon
Introduction
Preventing deaths in childhood has been a worldwide
struggle throughout history. The effort to eradicate
preventable death of children has intensified since the
launch of the Millennium Development Goals. This effort
relies on improving both preventative health measures
and acute medical services. In 2007 the Crisp report
championed health partnerships as the best way to make
UK contribution more effective and sustainable (1).
In 2007, Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Trust
(BSUH) formed a health partnership (supported by THET)
with University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka, Zambia.
This health partnership has developed from a small group
of health professional s and has now (2012) been launched
as an independent charity. Among other partnerships
within this link, the paediatric departments have worked
closely on a number of projects, and in 2010 successfully
applied for a THET/British Council grant to establish
Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) training in UTH.
The need for APLS in Lusaka
The paediatric department at UTH identified that there
was a particularly high rate of paediatric deaths within the
first 48 hours of admission. Many of these deaths were
from potentially treatable causes like pneumonia,
gastroenteritis and malaria. The deficiencies identified
were not just of resources, but also of knowledge, skills
and confidence in dealing with the acutely sick child.
“…if a child becomes acutely sick it’s no use having a
hospital that can’t do the basics for that child because if
you can get that child back on the road again they’ll go
back into the community and do well.”
The staff themselves felt ill-equipped to handle emergency
situations, which impacted negatively upon staff morale.
“...morale was very poor, very, when he arrived because
you know the patients were dying all the time...”
References
1. Crisp N. Global Health Partnerships The UK contribution to health Summary and
Recommendations. 2007. Accessed 7/5/12. Available from:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicy
AndGuidance/DH_065374
Death rates
decreased
94 Staff trained
Recent quantitative
evaluation has shown that
APLS training has been
accompanied by a significant
decrease in paediatric
mortality
94 Staff have received
training so far:
• 92 achieved qualification
- 42 APLS
- 50 PLS
22 Zambian
trainers
26 Staff received the Generic
Instructor Training:
22 have achieved
qualification
APLS Project
Impact
PLS now taught in
Zambian Medical
School
Increased
Morale
Information gathering after
each APLS course has shown
that all participants gain
moral from taking part
Understanding the
importance of paediatric life
support has led to PLS being
introduced in the University
of Zambia Medical School
How the Project Developed
It was clear that life support training was needed at UTH and so the APLS project came into existence. For courses
to run things were needed:
• A decision on which course to run
• People trained to run the chosen course
• A detailed plan of how to run the course
• Funding to run the course
As the project developed, two other organisations became partners: the Advanced Life Support Group, which
developed the original APLS curriculum, and the South African APLS network. This four way communication link
provided the needed APLS expertise .
For More information
Please contact Dr Paul Seddon [email protected] or
use the QR code opposite for more Information about
the Brighton-Lusaka Health Link
Running APLS
The 3-day APLS course covers
immediate resuscitation of the
acutely sick child, and care in
the first few hours in hospital.
The teaching is carried out using
a range of formats including
lectures, demonstrations and
simulations. Each participant
must demonstrate their
practical skills and take a
multiple choice knowledge test.
Certification in basic paediatric
life support (PLS) can be gained
by demonstrating practical skills.
To become an APLS trainer a
candidate must have completed
an APLS course showing promise
as a potential trainer. She/he
must then complete a GIC
(Generic Instructor Course) and
teach on two subsequent APLS
courses.
The APLS project has aimed to train as many local
instructors as possible in an effort to make the project
self-sustainable. This was achieved by scheduling more
than one course per visit. During the first visit, an APLS
course for selected candidates was followed by a GIC
course for the potential trainers identified at the first
course. These were followed by a second APLS course
with Zambian instructor candidates on the faculty team.
During the second trip a third APLS course was run,
followed by a GIC course and then two one-day PLS
courses. Two APLS courses will be run on the final visit,
led primarily by Zambian instructors and instructor
candidates trained on previous visits.
In association with