Simulators in anaesthesia

Abstract

Within the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in the use of simulators in anaesthesia. Many computer screen-based and full-scale anaesthesia simulators have been developed and evaluated. The major purpose of anaesthesia simulators is to rehearse the management of both frequently occurring and rare events during anaesthesia. Full-scale anaesthesia simulators are ideal for training anaesthetists about the concepts of human-machine interactions and the complications of working in a complex environment. Many simulator-based training courses, which involve these concepts, have been developed and are being conducted in many training centres. Simulators are also useful for the continuing education of practising anaesthetists. Routine in-training examinations, assessment of trainees with questionable competence and periodic re-examination of practitioners could be conducted on simulators. As research tools, simulators can be used to study the responses of anaesthesia personnel to critical incidents, the utility of different displays and alarm modalities, the effects of artifacts or false alarms on problem-solving performance and the effect of fatigue and other stresses on anaesthetists' performance.