High Acuity, Low Occurrence (HALO) Procedures Course

Who Is This Course For?

This course is meant for minimum level: ST3 or equivalent in Emergency Medicine and intensive Care/ Anaesthetics.

Eligible participants include:

• EM trainees (ST3+)
• SAS / Specialty Grades
• Consultants
• CESR/Portfolio Pathway candidates
• Credentialling ACPs
• Advanced Paramedic Practitioners in critical care
• Anaesthetics and Intensive Care clinicians

Course aim

The aim of the HALO course is to enhance patient safety by equipping clinicians with the knowledge, skills, and team behaviours required to recognise, initiate, and perform or to effectively assist in, rare but life-saving emergency procedures in a supervised, simulation-based environment.

Course Objectives/ Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

1. Perform the key steps of lateral canthotomy, FONA (Front of Neck Access/ surgical cricothyrotomy), emergency thoracotomy, resuscitative hysterotomy, and pericardiocentesis safely on simulation models.
2. Identify the critical indications, contraindications, and time-critical triggers for each HALO procedure.
3. Describe major complications and immediate management strategies in a simulated setting.
4. Demonstrate effective teamwork, communication, and human factors during HALO scenarios.
5. Explain the HALO mindset and strategies for workplace preparedness.
6. Recognise limitations of simulation and describe when to escalate appropriately in real clinical environments.

Format

The 1-day course is taught with the help of lectures followed by hands-on practice sessions in small groups. Expert faculty will provide guidance and supervision to make sure you learn the correct technique to make the best use of the skills gained in the course. The course is structured to give you ample practice.

Course Highlights
Hands-On Practice of Rare Procedures
Master essential techniques for procedures that are infrequently encountered but vital in emergency and critical care settings
Comprehensive, Step-by-Step Training
Learn the methodology, decision-making process, and execution of critical interventions in high-pressure situations
Realistic, high-fidelity Simulation
Train with animal cadavers to practice with real tissue and ensure you’re fully prepared for real-world clinical encounters

Key Procedures Covered
1. Surgical Cricothyrotomy( FONA)
Perfect your ability to perform an emergency airway intervention in cases of airway obstruction
2. Pericardiocentesis
Learn to swiftly and safely remove fluid from the pericardium in cases of cardiac tamponade
3. Emergency/ Resuscitative (Clamshell) Thoracotomy
Understand the steps for life-saving thoracotomies in traumatic cardiac arrest situations. Perform this on Animal Cadavers to get that realistic feel
4. Resuscitative Hysterotomy
Understand the steps for life-saving Hysterotomies in maternal cardiac arrest situations. Perform this procedure on animal cadavers
5. Lateral Canthotomy
Perform this procedure on animal cadavers

Why Choose This Course
  – Expert Instruction
  – Led by top emergency and trauma physicians with real-world experience in performing rare, high-stakes procedures
  – High-fidelity simulation
  – All procedures performed on animal cadavers/ high-fidelity simulators to give you the realistic feeling
  – Hands-On Training
  – Gain invaluable experience in a controlled, supervised environment with immediate feedback
  – Real-Life Scenarios
  – Engage in realistic simulations that replicate high-pressure emergencies, giving you the experience to stay calm and focused in real-life situations
  – Earn a certification of completion that highlights your proficiency in managing high-acuity, low-occurrence procedures

  – RCEM DOPS

Course pre-requisites

Please ensure you:

1. Understand the basic airway, trauma and resuscitation principles
2. Complete the pre-course questionnaire click here