Emergency Department
In a different setting, but none the less still worthy of note. “ I would like to share with you how this less traditional aid was used in such a powerful way that it became a life saving measure when treating a child in the ED. The child presented with severe croup. In this case there is a risk of the patient’s airway closing very quickly. It is then impossible to intubate as the airway is physically closed. We generally have to do a surgical airway at that point. Treatment to prevent this is keeping a child calm, really calm, as any distress will cause the airway to close, and to give inhaled steroids immediately to prevent the swelling getting worse and to start reversing it.
The child that came in had learning difficulties as well as being unwell. He was terrified in Resus and no matter how gently staff tried to approach him and use Mum to administer the medication, he became more distressed at the slightest attempt. The Consultant had called all supporting teams anticipating a very difficult situation, when someone suggested using the RITA system. The movie section was selected within the system. Within
5 minutes of watching Shrek the Movie, the child was totally calm and having a nebuliser of steroids. They quickly recovered to a safer state and were then able to admit the child onto the ward for on-going management. This is really an example of how the system has helped us save a life, and an unpredicted benefit of the system. Download the case study below.
