High Fidelity Simulation and Training in Neonatal Emergency Procedures and First Care

Simulation in healthcare is exponentially spreading nowadays. Multiple solutions have been developed and employed in many fields. High-fidelity simulations aim to achieve the utmost accuracy in replicating medical tasks, with a focus on effective and comprehensive training. Neonatal emergency and first care procedures are the primary and lifesaving aid that can change the outcome of the worst scenario. However, these procedures are still operator dependent thus, here the high fidelity simulation plays its major role demonstrating excellent results. In this thesis, a deep study of the neonatal respiration led to a new robotic simulator that faithfully replicates the real physiological and pathological behavior of the respiratory system, paving the way for innovative tools for ventilation training. Other emergency procedures, such as, the neonatal intubation and the manual ventilation with face masks have been widely studied with the aim to better understand their execution. This results led to the design of a new device and were included in multiple peer-reviewed journal papers. Finally, within a national project involving a multidisciplinary group of Sant’Anna School researchers, we brought the high fidelity simulation in an Ethiopian hospital to successfully train obstetricians and nurse residents in essential childbirth care procedures.