Two Simulation Cases to Prepare for a Public Festival: Pediatric Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Ingestion and Alcohol Toxicity

Introduction Emergency departments (EDs) see a surge of intoxicated patients during large public summer events. These patients can be distracting and complicated for ED staff to care for. Methods We developed two cases to prepare emergency department staff for an anticipated surge of patients related to a large music festival that occurs proximal to our pediatric hospital. We developed and performed cases of simulated patients with alcohol intoxication and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) ingestion to review medical management of these patients, as well as to review many of the social aspects of the cases. We surveyed simulation (sim) session participants to assess the degree to which the sessions were helpful and to glean ideas on how to improve sessions for future use. Results Over the course of two years, we have hosted eight simulations, for a total of 57 participants comprising various healthcare roles. We achieved an 85% response rate in the post-simulation surveys. The sessions were overall well-received and left participants feeling better prepared to care for intoxicated patients. Discussion Despite having a large number of staff from many disciplines working varied schedules, we were able to provide simulation training to many of them in preparation for an expected surge of intoxicated patients. Participants appreciated the training and gave feedback to improve sessions in the future.