A Quality Improvement Project to Implement Choking Prevention and First Aid Education in Prader-Willi Syndrome Caregivers

Kathryn S Obrynba; Kathryn Anglin; Amy Moffett; Tracie Steinke; Manmohan K Kamboj

doi:10.3390/jcm10214993

A Quality Improvement Project to Implement Choking Prevention and First Aid Education in Prader-Willi Syndrome Caregivers

J Clin Med. 2021 Oct 27;10(21):4993. doi: 10.3390/jcm10214993.

Authors

Kathryn S Obrynba^{1

2}, Kathryn Anglin¹, Amy Moffett¹, Tracie Steinke^{1

3}, Manmohan K Kamboj^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.
² Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.
³ Department of Clinical Nutrition and Lactation, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.

Abstract

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex neurodevelopmental genetic disorder characterized by hypotonia and hyperphagia. Consequently, individuals with PWS are at high risk of choking, and choking is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this quality improvement (QI) project is to provide choking prevention and first aid education from 0% to 80% of PWS caregivers seen in a multidisciplinary PWS clinic, and to assess the effectiveness of this education program. A QI initiative was developed to standardize and implement choking prevention and first aid education for PWS caregivers. Using a Likert scale, pre- and post-education assessments were conducted to measure caregiver (1) awareness of the PWS choking risk, (2) self-reported knowledge of choking prevention strategies, and (3) comfort in providing choking first aid. The American Heart Association Family and Friends^® CPR (Dallas, TX, USA) curriculum was utilized. Education was provided during a regularly scheduled PWS clinic appointment. At project conclusion, 45/52 (87%) of PWS caregivers received education. A post-education assessment revealed an improvement in PWS caregivers' awareness of choking risk, self-reported knowledge of choking prevention strategies, and comfort in providing choking first aid. This QI project supports a practice change to implement choking prevention and first aid education as standard process within our PWS clinic.

Keywords: Prader–Willi syndrome; choking; quality improvement.