title: A pilot study examining experiential learning vs didactic education of abdominal compartment syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current surgical education relies on simulated educational experiences or didactic sessions to teach low-frequency clinical events such as abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate if simulation would improve performance and knowledge retention of ACS better than a didactic lecture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen general surgery residents were block randomized by postgraduate year level to a didactic or a simulation session. After 3 months, all residents completed a knowledge assessment before participating in an additional simulation. Two independent reviewers assessed resident performance via audio-video recordings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No baseline differences in ACS experience were noted between groups. The observational evaluation demonstrated a significant difference in performance between the didactic and simulation groups: 9.9 vs 12.5, P = .037 (effect size = 1.15). Knowledge retention was equivalent between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study suggests that simulation-based education may be more effective for teaching the basic concepts of ACS.
authors: Department of General Surgery, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, 3535 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH, 43214, USA; Department of Medical Education, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors: Anju
authors: A
authors: Saraswat
authors: Department of General Surgery, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, 3535 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH, 43214, USA; Department of Medical Education, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Bach
authors: Department of Medical Education, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA; Center for Medical Education and Innovation, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors: William D
authors: WD
authors: Watson
authors: OhioHealth Research Institute, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors: John O
authors: JO
authors: Elliott
authors: Department of General Surgery, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, 3535 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH, 43214, USA; Department of Medical Education, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA. Electronic address: e34dominguez@yahoo.com.
authors: Edward P
authors: EP
authors: Dominguez
mesh_terms: D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D059325:Intra-Abdominal Hypertension / Q000601:surgery*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method
keywords: General surgery; Intra-abdominal hypertension; Observational performance; Randomized study; Residency education; Simulation