April 21, 2020By Lance Baily

New COVID-19 Simulation Scenarios From EM SIM CASES

EM SIM CASES, which provides peer-reviewed simulation cases for Emergency Medicine programs available in FOAMed spirit, has been consistently creating and sharing COVID-19 medical simulation scenarios from the global community. Here are all the COVID-19 Simulation Scenarios from the group, with additional Coronavirus simulation scenarios listed below from our Comprehensive COVID-19 Simulation Resources Page.

COVID-19: Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

This simulation case tests the response to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and the ability of the staff to stay safe while caring for a critically ill patient. At the time of publishing, there is no unified, consensus approach to code blue in the suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient. However, in this case, we explore an approach that maximizes the protection of healthcare providers and we encourage you to explore your local protocols in any simulation exercises you plan. This case was written by Trevor Campbell and Jared Baylis for use to assess and improve team preparedness to care for an incoming suspected COVID positive patient who has suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.


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The patient is found by a friend unresponsive after a 7 day history of cough and shortness of breath. He immediately receives bystander CPR. An advanced care paramedic crew attends the scene and manages a ventricular fibrillation arrest prior to transporting to hospital. The patient goes into cardiac arrest again shortly before arriving in the emergency department. The team will need to prepare for the patient’s arrival and then manage a cardiac arrest using appropriate precautions for suspected COVID-19.

COVID-19: STEMI with VF Arrest

This simulation case tests the response to an unexpected cardiac arrest, and the ability of the staff to stay safe while caring for a critically ill patient. At the time of publishing, there is not a single consensus approach to code blue in the suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient. However, in this case, we explore an approach that maximizes the protection of healthcare providers. This case was written by Drs. Krista Dowhos and Alim Nagji for use to assess and improve team preparedness to care for a COVID positive patient in cardiac arrest.

This 50-year old woman presents with typical cardiac chest pain and high suspicion for COVID-19. Her ECG shows an anterior STEMI. The team will start performing the initial work-up and management of a patient with STEMI. While this is occurring, the patient suffers a VF arrest. The team will need to go through the ACLS algorithm while taking all precautions required in caring for a patient with suspected COVID.


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COVID-19: Ambulatory Care

This case was designed during the January 2020 COVID-19 outbreak in order to assess and improve team preparedness for safely and effectively caring for a moderately ill coronavirus patient from triage through to EMS transfer out of an ambulatory care setting. This case was written by Dr. Alex Chorley, a staff emergency physician at Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton, Ontario.

A 38-year old male has returned from a business trip in Asia last week. Over the last 48 hours, he has developed fever, rigors, myalgias as well as nausea, vomiting and upper respiratory symptoms. He initially was trying to ride it out at home, but is feeling increasingly short of breath and fatigued. He has now presented to your ambulatory care clinic.

COVID-19: Respiratory Failure

This case was designed during the January 2020 COVID-19 outbreak in order to assess and improve team preparedness for safely and effectively caring for a critically ill coronavirus patient from triage through to intubation. This well developed simulation case provides a way to test and improve systems in place for infection control, PPE, and management of exposure to COVID-19 or any high risk communicable respiratory illness.

A 35-year-old woman became febrile last night with coryza and woke up acutely short of breath with productive cough, rhinorrhea, and a subjective fever. She presents to triage where she screens positive for potential coronavirus exposure due to fever, respiratory symptoms and a high-risk travel history.

About EM SIM CASES



Most EM residency programs are now using simulation in some capacity. Why should each program have to create new content? At EM Sim Cases, they want to showcase the fantastic cases that are already being used across the country.

They have three main goals:

  1. Create a large database of cases for EM educators around the world to use.
  2. Map all cases to clear educational objectives.
  3. Create a FOAMed culture among EM simulation educators.

Starting a new simulation in healthcare curriculum? Use the cases on this blog! They’ve already been tested by other experienced educators. Feel like your curriculum is getting tired? Turn to the blog for ideas! Want a variation on a case you already use? Look here for suggestions.

Find These COVID-19 Sim Cases & More at EM SIM CASES!

More Coronavirus Resources for Medical Simulation Programs

HealthySimulation.com has gathered countless resources for clinical simulation programs to use during this challenging time to help prepare simulation centers for educating and training healthcare professionals for fighting COVID-19. From open access to online virtual reality platforms to $1M in grants for EMS programs training for ACLS, to cutting edge research highlights from the frontlines and infographic posters to help remind staff how to remain safe — our Comprehensive COVID-19 Healthcare Simulation Resources Page has it all, including:


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