Simple steps towards improving safety in obstetric airway management: A quality improvement project
Authors' conclusion
We describe the successful adoption of simple safety measures introduced into routine practice. These comprised videolaryngoscopy, ramped positioning and low flow nasal oxygen.
Study context
- Population
- Pregnant (> 20 weeks' gestation) and postnatal (up to 48 h post delivery) women undergoing obstetric surgery under GA, large tertiary referral obstetric unit334 tracheal intubations recorded
- Participants
- 401 participants
- Exposure
- Airway management before vs after intubation checklist (December 2020) and multidisciplinary staff training (August 2021)
- Outcome
- Use of a Macintosh-style videolaryngoscope and tracheal intubation success
Methodological detailsbefore-and-after, three 6-month periods, single-centre
- Before-and-after
- Three 6-month periods
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- First pass success overall
- 94%
- Three attempts required
- 0.9%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low flow nasal oxygen use | 48% | — not stated in the abstract | 90% |
| Ramped positioning | — not stated in the abstract | 95% | 97% |
| Intubation checklist use | — not stated in the abstract | 63% | 92% |
— not stated in the abstract
Original publication
Simple steps towards improving safety in obstetric airway management: A quality improvement project. Eur J Anaesthesiol. Published 23 August 2023. doi:10.
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