The Advanced Pediatric Airway Module (APAM) made its debut at the DOCS Education Seattle seminar on November 15, 2014.
DOCS Education has always adhered to the most stringent safety requirements for all its courses, and chose to further hone its Pediatric Sedation Dentistry curriculum by developing an intensive method in which doctors could combine lecture and hands-on learning to develop an even higher standard of care and safety.
This re-envisioned version of Pediatric Sedation Dentistry also provides a more thorough option through which to obtain Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification, leading attendees first through an online portion before completing parts 2 and 3 at the seminar.
"If an attendee completes the didactic part of PALS online and passes the written test (which can be completed in about 4-8 hours in the comfort of their home) they can then complete the clinical part of PALS included in the APAM at the upgraded Pediatric Sedation Dentistry course," said Dr. Roger Sanger, lead instructor for Pediatric Sedation Dentistry.
"The purpose of this is to provide doctors with both a sedation course and an advanced airway course in addition to PALS certification if the pre-course DOCS and AHA PALS requirements have been met," he further explained.
During the seminar, attendees were led through six scenarios programmed into high fidelity human simulators that had direct application for pediatric dentists who sedate children in their office.
These scenarios included asthma, diabetes, foreign body introduction, allergic reaction, excess of local anesthetic and Sinus Tachycardia (ST) or Supra Ventricular Tachycardia (SVT). This invaluable training ensured the attendees left the course fully prepared, confident and able to react calmly and knowledgeably in the event of an emergency.
The philosophy behind APAM is simple: ensure safety and satisfy regulatory requirements simultaneously.
"The new course was unveiled in Seattle in November and the doctors loved it," said Dr. Sanger. "Our reviews were very positive. The lecture/sim lab/lecture format held their attention for three full days because the entire second day was devoted to hands-on with computer controlled simulators providing actual airway emergencies and surgical and medication/fluid access performed on animal cadavers."
"Plus," he continued, "the staff members who came with their doctors got to have a separate one-day seminar while the doctors were in APAM getting team-oriented sedation and emergency preparedness procedures to complement those learned by their doctors. It was a win/win for everybody—doctor, staff and patient. This course is the future in pediatric sedation dentistry. It combines training for both doctor and staff in sedation while preparing each in emergency procedures and airway management."
DOCS Education will be providing its next PSD/APAM course at the San Diego, California seminar from February 20-22, 2015. To learn more click here.
The information contained in this, or any case study post in Incisor should never be considered a proper replacement for necessary training and/or education regarding adult oral conscious sedation. Regulations regarding sedation vary by state. This is an educational and informational piece. DOCS Education accepts no liability whatsoever for any damages resulting from any direct or indirect recipient's use of or failure to use any of the information contained herein. DOCS Education would be happy to answer any questions or concerns mailed to us at 106 Lenora Street, Seattle, WA 98121. Please print a copy of this posting and include it with your question or request.
