Simulation: Emergencies: Management of severe acute asthma

About Foch Hospital (Hôpital Foch):

With 2,000 staff members (including 300 doctors) and 600 beds, Foch Hospital is one of the most effective and renowned non-profit university-hospitals with a public service mission in France.

The Foch Hospital indeed provides a wide range of treatments to adult patients in almost all of the medical and surgical domains and commits to education and research, while paying crucial attention to patient care, including through the investment in cutting-edge medical technology.

Foch hospital stands out from the French medical offer by being the leader in the field of neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, gynaecology, urology, anaesthesia, ICU, internal medicine and oncology through innovative treatments.

Training at Foch Hospital is covered by:

• 50% of ward heads at Foch Hospital who also are University professors

• 1 nursing school with 60 students per promotion

• 1 midwifery school with 28 students per class

• 1 continuing education institute, “Foch Santé Formation”

• 1 simulation platform of 600 m2

Acute asthma is a frequent reason for consultation in the Emergency Department. Out of 4 million asthmatics in France, it is estimated that it represents around 200,000 visits to the Emergency Department and is responsible for at least 100,000 hospitalisations per year, 35,000 of which concern children.

Only less than 10% of patients have genuinely severe asthma that is resistant to treatment. The Emergency services are for them "obligatory visits" because they have frequent exacerbations.

Source: Press kit of the French Respiratory Foundation

BIOGRAPHY of Dr Marie-Christine BALLESTER

Doctor Marie-Christine BALLESTER has been Head of the Emergency Department and of the Multipurpose Short Stay Unit since September 2017.

She worked as an emergency doctor for 14 years at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital (AP-HP) before coming to Foch Hospital and has been a hospital practitioner for 12 years.

Doctor BALLESTER was trained in simulation training at iLumens in 2016 and regularly trains interns at the simulation centre of the Foch Hospital.

o An intern

o A nurse

o A senior doctor

Briefing :

Specific objectives will be determined at the beginning of the simulation session and will be targeted for debriefing.

Context of the simulation :

You work in an Emergency Department with access to all specialities and technical platforms. You take transmissions from the reception and orientation nurse or from a colleague who is finishing his/her service.

Subject of the simulation :

Taking care of a patient who has been admitted to the emergency room for dyspnea for 24 hours, not giving in despite multiple puffs of Ventolin.

Debriefing :

Analysis of the course of the simulation and advice for an optimal treatment.