How well do EMS teams manage critically ill pediatric patients—and how do we know? In this special crossover episode with the EMS Educator Podcast, hosts Rob Lawrence and Maia Dorsett speak with Mark Cicero, lead author of a landmark study published in Prehospital Emergency Care. The study used simulation to assess EMS performance in pediatric emergencies.

From medication dosing errors to missed fundamentals like cap refill checks, Dr. Cicero breaks down what the study revealed across more than 150 simulations in three states. Dr. Dorsett shares how the findings challenged her own assumptions as an educator and led to reflections on curriculum design, quality improvement, and the need for deliberate, high-frequency pediatric practice.

Featured Article

Quality of Care and Opportunities for Improvement in Prehospital Care of Critically Ill Pediatric Patients, An Observational, Simulation-Based Study 🔗 Read the article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10903127.2025.2500715

Special Thanks to Prodigy EMS: https://www.prodigyems.com/ems-educator

As always THANK YOU for listening.

Hawnwan Philip Moy MD (@pecpodcast)

Scott Goldberg MD, MPH (@EMS_Boston)

Jeremiah Escajeda MD, MPH (@jerescajeda)

Joelle Donofrio-Odmann DO (@PEMems)

Maia Dorsett MD PhD (@maiadorsett)

Lekshmi Kumar MD, MPH(@Gradymed1)

Greg Muller DO (@DrMuller_DO)

Ariana Weber MD (@aweberMD4)

Rebecca Cash PhD (@CashRebeccaE)

Michael Kim MD (@michaeljukim)

Rachel Stemerman PhD (@steminformatics)

Nikolai Arendovich MD

Ep. 153 Crossover Episode: What Simulation Reveals About Pediatric Readiness in EMS