PRISMA Project: a training course organized by the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies on manual neonatal ventilation in Tanzania
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa has organized a research and training activity in Iringa, a city in Tanzania, focusing on manual neonatal ventilation, a support technique used to provide respiratory assistance to newborns who are not breathing spontaneously or who have breathing difficulties.
The study, conducted in collaboration with CUAMM - Medici con l'Africa, the Tosamaganga Hospital, and the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), evaluated the educational effectiveness of a low-cost, high-fidelity neonatal ventilation simulator in three different fidelity configurations.
The four-day course involved 41 students and 37 healthcare professionals, who participated in theoretical and practical training sessions led by Sabina Maglio, post-doc at the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant'Anna School, and Davide Mocellin, PhD student at the BioRobotics Institute, Dr. Martina Borellini (CUAMM), and Dr. Mary-Winnie Nanyaro and Dr. Elizabeth Shayo of the NIMR.
Features of the simulator developed by the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
The simulator, developed by Prof. Arianna Menciassi's Robotic Surgery Laboratory, is designed to teach doctors and healthcare professionals neonatal manual ventilation with AMBU. The simulator offers a highly realistic experience, accurately replicating both the anatomy and physiology of a newborn during ventilation. Inside the chest, mechanical models of the lungs and stomach simulate natural physiological movements, such as the lifting of the chest during effective ventilation or the lifting of the abdomen in the event of incorrect ventilation. The system is equipped with advanced sensors (including a flow sensor and two pressure sensors) that provide real-time monitoring of key parameters for assessing ventilation effectiveness: airflow, lung pressure, gastric pressure, and ventilation rate. In addition, the sensors provide instant feedback on the proper execution of the procedure and guide the practitioner with the support of a dedicated smartphone app.
This new type of simulator is easy to use and low cost, but highly capable of replicating physiological reality and actual clinical practice. It has the potential to support the improvement of healthcare in African countries, especially in rural areas where the lack of resources is also reflected in a lower availability of qualified personnel in maternal and child healthcare.
Africa Connect and the PRISMA project: Sant'Anna School's commitment in Africa
The simulator was developed as part of the PRISMA project, which aims to promote resilient, inclusive, and safe communities in the Horn of Africa. PRISMA is one of the projects carried out within Africa Connect, the interdisciplinary initiative promoted by the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies that combines research and training activities to contribute to the inclusive and sustainable development of the African continent.
