Non‐theatre emergency airway management: a multicentre prospective observational study
Authors' conclusion
We conclude that there is a disparity between consultant presence for advanced airway interventions in- and out-of-hours; high utilisation of videolaryngoscopy and capnography, especially for advanced airway interventions; and a high incidence of hypotension and hypoxaemia, including critical values, during non-theatre airway management.
Study context
- Population
- Non-theatre emergency airway management events in eight acute NHS hospitals in southeast England
- Participants
- 166 events
- Outcome
- Incidence and nature of non-theatre emergency airway management events
- Follow-up
- Continuous 28-day window
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Non-theatre emergency airway management events · 28 days
- Total events recorded
- 166
- Advanced airway events (tracheal intubation or tracheostomy management)
- 111
- Senior personnel (≥3 years airway experience) present for advanced airway episodes
- 105/111 (95%)
- Consultant or equivalent presence out-of-hours
- 21/64, 33%
- Consultant or equivalent presence in-hours
- 34/47, 72%
- Videolaryngoscopy use
- 95/106, 90%
- Capnography use for all advanced airway management events
- universal
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Videolaryngoscopy in tracheal intubations
- 11/16 (69%)
- Capnography in cardiac arrest episodes
- 21/32 (66%)
Safety
Adverse outcomes during advanced airway management (excluding cardiac arrest)
- Any adverse outcome
- 53/111 (48%)
- Hypoxia (desaturation to SpO2 < 80%)
- 14/111, 13%
- Hypotension (SBP < 80 mmHg)
- 27/111, 25%
- Adverse outcomes not associated with time of day or practitioner experience level
Original publication
Non‐theatre emergency airway management: a multicentre prospective observational study. Anaesthesia. Published 7 August 2023. doi:10.
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