Publications

OBJECTIVES: Tracheal intubation in PICUs is often associated with adverse tracheal intubation-associated events. There is a paucity of data regarding medication selection for safe tracheal intubations in PICUs. Our primary objective was to evaluate the association of medication selection on specific tracheal intubation-associated events across PICUs.

DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study.

SETTING: Nineteen PICUs in North America.

SUBJECTS: Critically ill children requiring tracheal intubation.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Using the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children, tracheal intubation quality improvement data were prospectively collected from July 2010 to March 2013. Patient, provider, and practice characteristics including medications and dosages were collected. Adverse tracheal intubation-associated events were defined a priori. A total of 3,366 primary tracheal intubations were reported. Adverse tracheal intubation-associated events occurred in 593 tracheal intubations (18%). Fentanyl and midazolam were the most commonly used induction medications (64% and 58%, respectively). Neuromuscular blockade was used in 92% of tracheal intubation with the majority using rocuronium (64%) followed by vecuronium (20%). Etomidate and succinylcholine were rarely used (1.6% and 0.7%, respectively). Vagolytics were administered in 37% of tracheal intubations (51% in infants; 28% in > 1 yr old; p < 0.001). Ketamine was used in 27% of tracheal intubations but more often for tracheal intubations in patients with unstable hemodynamics (39% vs 25%; p < 0.001). However, ketamine use was not associated with lower prevalence of new hypotension (ketamine 8% vs no ketamine 14%; p = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS: In this large, pediatric multicenter registry, fentanyl, midazolam, and ketamine were the most commonly used induction agents, and the majority of tracheal intubations involved neuromuscular blockade. Ketamine use was not associated with lower prevalence of hypotension.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We describe the operators, techniques, success, and adverse event rates of adult emergency department (ED) intubation through multicenter prospective surveillance.

METHODS: Eighteen EDs in the United States, Canada, and Australia recorded intubation data onto a Web-based data collection tool, with a greater than or equal to 90% reporting compliance requirement. We report proportions with binomial 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and regression, with year as the dependent variable, to model change over time.

RESULTS: Of 18 participating centers, 5 were excluded for failing to meet compliance standards. From the remaining 13 centers, we report data on 17,583 emergency intubations of patients aged 15 years or older from 2002 to 2012. Indications were medical in 65% of patients and trauma in 31%. Rapid sequence intubation was the first method attempted in 85% of encounters. Emergency physicians managed 95% of intubations and most (79%) were physician trainees. Direct laryngoscopy was used in 84% of first attempts. Video laryngoscopy use increased from less than 1% in the first 3 years to 27% in the last 3 years (risk difference 27%; 95% CI 25% to 28%; mean odds ratio increase per year [ie, slope] 1.7; 95% CI 1.6 to 1.8). Etomidate was used in 91% and succinylcholine in 75% of rapid sequence intubations. Among rapid sequence intubations, rocuronium use increased from 8.2% in the first 3 years to 42% in the last 3 years (mean odds ratio increase per year 1.3; 95% CI 1.3 to 1.3). The first-attempt intubation success rate was 83% (95% CI 83% to 84%) and was higher in the last 3 years than in the first 3 (86% versus 80%; risk difference 6.2%; 95% CI 4.2% to 7.8%). The airway was successfully secured in 99.4% of encounters (95% CI 99.3% to 99.6%).

CONCLUSION: In the EDs we studied, emergency intubation has a high and increasing success rate. Both drug and device selection evolved significantly during the study period.

OBJECTIVE: Neuromuscular paralysis without sedation is an avoidable medical error with negative psychologic and potentially physiologic consequences. We determine the frequency of long-acting paralysis without concurrent sedation among patients intubated in our emergency department (ED) or before arrival.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study from July 2007 to August 2009. We chose this time interval because in 2006, our institution developed a multidisciplinary plan designed to improve care of intubated patients. We identified all mechanically ventilated patients using billing codes. We reviewed all records to identify use of long-acting neuromuscular blocking agents. We captured data on patient characteristics and location of intubation, using a standardized data collection form. We report bivariate risk ratios to quantify associations with lack of concurrent sedation. A priori, we defined concurrent sedation as administration of any sedative during the 60 minutes preceding and the 15 minutes after administration of the long-acting paralytic.

RESULTS: Over the 26-month period of study, 292 patients received a long-acting paralytic. Of the 212 available for analysis, 39 (18%) did not receive concurrent sedation. Every decade of age increased the risk of paralysis without concurrent sedation by 1.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.4). Paralysis for intubation (vs for transport or ventilation management) increased the odds of no sedation by 2.1 (95% CI, 1.2-3.7). No other covariates predicted nonsedation.

CONCLUSION: Absence of concurrent sedation was common among patients receiving long-acting neuromuscular paralysis before arrival or at our ED, despite implementation of a guideline to improve practice.

OBJECTIVES: While optical and video laryngoscopy have been studied in the emergency department, the operating room, and the routine prehospital setting, their efficacy in the tactical environment–in which operator safety is as important as intubation success–has not been evaluated. This study compared direct laryngoscopes to optical (AirTraq) and video (King Vision) laryngoscopes in a simulated tactical setting.

METHODS: This prospective institutional review board-approved simulation study evaluated each of the laryngoscopes in the hands of seven experienced tactical paramedics. After a one-hour training session, each tactical paramedic used each of the laryngoscopes, in a random order, on each of four different airway manikins. A tactical environment was simulated using auditory and visual immersion, and the intubations occurred on the ground with the paramedics in full tactical gear. Outcomes included time to successful ventilation, first-pass success rate, Cormack-Lehane grade, and intubator head height during the intubation. Statistical analysis included chi-squared and Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine contributing factors to outcomes with significant variation.

RESULTS: A total of 84 intubations were performed by seven tactical paramedics. While there were no significant differences in time to successful ventilation or first-pass success rate, the optical and video laryngoscopes had significantly better Cormack-Lehane grades, defined as grade I or II (100% for both compared to 85.7%), while direct laryngoscopy resulted in significantly less maximum vertical exposure of the intubator (51.82 cm compared to AirTraq's 56.64 cm and King Vision's 56.13 cm).

CONCLUSION: Video and optical laryngoscopes can be used successfully by experienced tactical paramedics in a simulated tactical setting. The King Vision and AirTraq resulted in improved Cormack-Lehane glottic views but similar times to ventilation and first-pass success compared to direct laryngoscopy. Intubator head height was lower with direct laryngoscopy. Clarifying the role of optical and video laryngoscopes in a tactical environment, especially in the hands of less experienced intubators, requires further research.

INTRODUCTION: Pre-hospital airway management is a key component of resuscitation although the benefit of pre-hospital intubation has been widely debated. We report a large series of pre-hospital emergency airway encounters performed by air-transport providers in a large, multi-state system.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed electronic intubation flight records from an 89 rotorcraft air medical system from January 01, 2007, through December 31, 2009. We report patient characteristics, intubation methods, success rates, and rescue techniques with descriptive statistics. We report proportions with 95% confidence intervals and binary comparisons using chi square test with p-values <0.05 considered significant.

RESULTS: 4,871 patients had active airway management, including 2,186 (44.9%) medical and 2,685 (55.1%) trauma cases. There were 4,390 (90.1%) adult and 256 (5.3%) pediatric (age ≤ 14) intubations; 225 (4.6%) did not have an age recorded. 4,703 (96.6%) had at least one intubation attempt. Intubation was successful on first attempt in 3,710 (78.9%) and was ultimately successful in 4,313 (91.7%). Intubation success was higher for medical than trauma patients (93.4% versus 90.3%, p=0.0001 JT test). 168 encounters were managed primarily with an extraglottic device (EGD). Cricothyrotomy was performed 35 times (0.7%) and was successful in 33. Patients were successfully oxygenated and ventilated with an endotracheal tube, EGD, or surgical airway in 4809 (98.7%) encounters. There were no reported deaths from a failed airway.

CONCLUSION: Airway management, predominantly using rapid sequence intubation protocols, is successful within this high-volume, multi-state air-transport system.

AIM: To examine the success rates of emergency department airway management by resident physicians in Japan.

METHODS: We conducted an analysis of a multicentre prospective registry (Japanese Emergency Airway Network Registry) of 13 academic and community emergency departments in Japan. We included all patients who underwent emergency intubation performed by postgraduate year 1 to 5 transitional or emergency medicine residents (resident physicians) between April 2010 and August 2012. Outcome measures were success rates by the first intubator, and by rescue intubator, according to the level of training.

RESULTS: We recorded 4,094 intubations (capture rate, 96%); 2,800 attempts (2,800/4,094; 68%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 67%-70%) were initially performed by resident physicians. Overall success rate on the first attempt was 63% (1,767/2,789; 95%CI, 61%-64%); the rate improved over the first 3 years of training before reaching a plateau (P trend < 0.001). Success rate by the first intubator was 78% (2,185/2,800; 95%CI, 76%-79%); the rate steadily improved as level of training increased (P trend < 0.001). Of 597 failed intubation attempts by the first intubator, 41% (247/597; 95%CI, 37%-45%) of rescue attempts were performed by resident physicians. Success rate on the first rescue attempt was 76% (187/247; 95%CI, 70%-81%), and success rate by first rescue intubator was 89% (220/247; 95%CI, 85%-93%). These rates on rescue attempts steadily improved as level of training increased (both P trend < 0.001). Intubations were ultimately successful in 2,778 encounters (99.6%).

CONCLUSION: In this multicentre study characterizing emergency airway management across Japan, we observed that emergency department intubations were primarily managed by resident physicians with acceptably high success rates overall.

BACKGROUND: Airway management in a trauma patient can be particularly challenging when both a difficult airway and the need for rapid action collide. The provider must evaluate the trauma patient for airway difficulty, develop an airway management plan, and be willing to act quickly with incomplete information.

DISCUSSION: Thorough knowledge of airway management algorithms will assist the emergency physician in providing optimal care and offer a rapid and effective treatment plan.

CONCLUSIONS: Using a case-based approach, this article reviews initial trauma airway management strategies along with the rationale for evidence-based treatments.

BACKGROUND: As part of a quality improvement initiative to reduce Emergency Department (ED) length of stay (LOS) for surgical consult patients, we e-mailed performance metrics to key stakeholders on a daily basis. ED and Surgery leadership used these daily metrics to identify and remedy contributing factors for increased ED LOS in patients who received surgical consults.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a quality improvement process driven by a daily performance metric e-mail would be associated with a change in ED LOS for surgical consult patients.

METHODS: Prospective before-after study looking at ED LOS for surgical consult patients after an e-mail intervention at a tertiary academic teaching hospital. All consecutive adult ED patients between July 1, 2010 and October 1, 2010 who received a general surgical consult were enrolled. The primary outcome measure was ED LOS, and secondary outcome measure was time to consultation.

RESULTS: There were 916 patients who had surgical consults placed during the study period; 459 patients presented before the intervention and 457 patients presented after the intervention. The median LOS decreased 54 min, from 463 min (interquartile range [IQR] 326-617) before the intervention to 409 min (IQR 294.5-528.5) after the intervention (p < 0.001). Time to consultation decreased 25 min, from a median of 160 min (IQR 87-265) to 135 min (IQR 70-239.5) (p = 0.002). There was no difference in age, severity, number of consults, or disposition. There was also no difference in median LOS for other consultation services or in previous years during the same time period.

CONCLUSIONS: ED LOS and time to consultation were decreased for surgical consult patients after initiation of daily performance metric e-mails.