CardioSim

The CardioSim Advanced Cardiological Simulation Centre was set up by the Department and School of Specialisation in Cardiovascular Diseases of the University of Sassari, with contributions from the Banco di Sardegna Foundation and the university. The main mission of the centre is to complete the theoretical and practical training in the management of cardiovascular emergencies of the medical, surgical and nursing students at the university, and of the medical and nursing staff of the University Hospital of Sassari. This training will be extended to the medical staff of other health departments and hospitals in Sardinia. The management of medical emergencies requires great professionalism and an adequate level of practice, which are not sufficiently acquired during the course of studies. It also requires proper use of the human and material resources available in a given critical situation, in order to optimise the effectiveness of the intervention. The training aimed at completing the series of theoretical knowledge, practical abilities and management skills required in medical emergency situations - known as Crisis Resource Management (CRM) - should be part of the training of all health care workers who may have to deal with emergency situations. CardioSim’s structural and technological characteristics make it a teaching facility of the highest level, the first of its kind in Sardinia, equipped with sophisticated new computerised simulator mannequins that can simulate any type of critical cardiovascular disease, as well as standard mannequins for BLS-D and ALS courses.

Another area of activity at the CardioSim Centre is the use of advanced simulation for courses in ongoing medical education, aimed at theoretical and practical upgrading for general practitioners and specialists in areas not strictly related to emergencies, or the training of health personnel participating in institutional projects (cardiovascular emergency networks, risk management, hospital cardiac arrest management, the management of rare diseases, cardiometabolic support networks, etc.). CardioSim is also an innovative research centre for the development of new simulation-based tools and teaching methods and the encouragement of their use in remote training.

Skills and technologies

CardioSim has a secretarial office, a classroom seating 35 for lectures and debriefing, a macrosimulation room set up like hospital ward and audio-visually linked with the debriefing room, a microsimulation room with computers for self-study and a practice room for BLS-D and ALS.

The Centre also enjoys the collaboration of advanced simulation teachers and tutors and ALS and BLS-D instructors from other Italian centres.

The mannequins used are among the most advanced currently available and allow fully realistic simulations of the most important cardiovascular emergency situations. The SimMan mannequin offers a very wide range of interactions with the learner, including case history, physical symptomatology, the detection of vital signs (breathing, oxygen saturation, ECG, etc.) and the execution of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic manoeuvres, such as intravenous cannulation, orotracheal intubation, defibrillation, urethral catheterisation, chest drainage, drug administration, etc.

Contact information