Retention of paediatric procedural skills, developed by emergency doctors during simulation-based training, wane by six months and disappear by four years after training, according to a study.

Simulation-based education has been shown to enhance performance of numerous procedures, such as neonatal resuscitation and paediatric advanced life support, but few studies have examined the retention of these skills in the months or years after training.

French researchers assessed essential but rarely used technical skills in paediatric emergencies among emergency physicians who had received relevant training using an infant mannequin at different time points prior to the assessment.

The cross-sectional study included 23 participants trained less than half a year before the assessment, 20 trained between six months and and two years before, 22 trained between two and four years before, and 23 trained at least four years before.