Perinatal airway management in neonatal goiter: A healthcare cost and utilization project (HCUP) kids' inpatient database analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Fetal goiter is a rare congenital disorder that can present with life-threatening neonatal airway obstruction. Lifesaving and function-preserving airway management strategies are available, but routine delivery affords a limited window for intervention. Accordingly, fetal goiter is reported among the most common indications for ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT). While EXIT prolongs the window for airway intervention to benefit the neonate, it elevates the risk to the pregnant person and requires extensive resources; therefore, data to guide ideal treatment selection are essential. This study aims to compare perinatal airway interventions between individuals with a birth hospitalization discharge diagnosis (BHDD) of goiter and the general population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Individuals with and without BHDD of goiter were identified in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids' Inpatient Database from 2000 to 2019. The frequency of airway interventions on day of life (DOL) 0 or 1 were compared using the Rao-Scott chi-square test. Additionally, gestational age, type of intervention, complications, mortality, birth weight, and length of stay were examined for the goiter cohort. RESULTS: Two-hundred eighty-seven weighted cases of goiter were identified in the study period. The population was 61 % male, 55 % White, and median birthweight was 3.3 kg. The median length of stay was 4.3 days, and average total charges were $42,332. Airway intervention on DOL 0 or 1 was performed in 16.9 % of individuals with goiter compared to 1.6 % in neonates without goiter (p < 0.001). Interventions in the goiter cohort included endotracheal intubation in 16 % of cases, laryngoscopy/bronchoscopy in 1-5% of cases, and tracheostomy in <1 % of cases. Fewer than 1 % of individuals undergoing intubation additionally had mass decompression/resection on DOL 0 or 1. No neonates received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Hypoxic encephalopathy occurred in <1 % of cases, among which endotracheal intubation was the only airway intervention performed. There were no mortalities among neonates with goiter. CONCLUSION: Individuals with BHDD of goiter receive significantly higher rates of perinatal airway intervention. In most cases, endoscopic interventions alone were sufficient to avoid hypoxic neurological complications. These findings contribute to data to aid in clinical counseling and empower patients to make informed decisions according to their values and treatment goals.

Low-cost versus high-fidelity pediatric simulators for difficult airway management training: a randomized study in continuing medical education

Abstract Background: High-fidelity (HF) pediatric patient simulators are expensive. This randomized study aimed to compare the quality and educational impact of a full-scale simulation workshop with an HF infant simulator (SimBaby™, Laerdal) or with a low-cost (LC) simulator composed of an inert infant manikin with SimBaby™ software that displays respiratory/hemodynamic parameters on a monitor for medical education in pediatric difficult airway management. Methods: After written informed consent, anesthetists and emergency or ICU physicians participated in teams (4 to 6 participants) in a training session that included direct participation and observation of two difficult intubation scenarios. They were randomized into two groups (HF group, n = 65 and LC group, n = 63). They filled out a simulation quality score (SQS, 0 to 50), self-evaluated their anesthetists' non-technical skills (ANTS) score (15 to 60), and an educational quality score (EQS, 0 to 60) immediately (T0, main criteria), as well as 3 (T3) and 6 (T6) months after the training session. Results: We enrolled 128 physicians. Direct participation SQS (39 ± 5 HF group versus 38 ± 5 LC group), observation SQS (41 ± 4 H F group versus 39 ± 5 LC group), ANTS scores (38 ± 4 HF group versus 39 ± 6 LC group), T0 SQS (44 ± 5 HF group versus 43 ± 6 LC group), T3 and T6 SQS were not different between groups. Conclusion: Our low-cost simulator should be suggested as a less expensive alternative to an HF simulator for continuing medical education in pediatric difficult airway management.

Epidemiology of adverse events attributed to airway management in paediatric anaesthesia: protocol for the prospective, multicentre, registry-based, cross-sectional Japan Pediatric Difficult Airway in Anesthesia study (J-PEDIA).

INTRODUCTION: Failure to secure an airway during general anaesthesia is a major cause of adverse events (AEs) in children. The safety of paediatric anaesthesia may be improved by identifying the incidence of AEs and their attributed risk factors. The aim of the current study is to obtain real-world data on the incidence of adverse peri-intubation events and assess their association with patient characteristics (including the prevalence of difficult airway features) and choice of anaesthesia management. These data can be used to develop a targeted education programme for anaesthesia providers towards quality improvement activities. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This prospective, multicentre, registry-based, cross-sectional study will be conducted in four tertiary care hospitals in Japan from June 2022 to May 2025. Children <18 years of age undergoing surgical and/or diagnostic test procedures under general anaesthesia or sedation by anaesthesiologists will be enrolled in this study. Data on patient characteristics, discipline of anaesthesia providers and methodology of airway management will be collected through a standardised verification system. The exposure of interest is the presence of difficult airway features defined based on the craniofacial appearance. The primary and secondary endpoints are all AEs associated with airway management and reduced peripheral capillary oxygen saturation values. Potential confounders are related to the failure to secure the airway and variations in the anaesthesia providers' levels, adjusted using hierarchical multivariable regression models with mixed effects. The sample size was calculated to be approximately 16 000 assuming a 99% probability of obtaining a 95% Wilson CI with±0.3% of the half-width for the 2.0% of the incidence of critical AEs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Aichi Children's Health and Medical Center (2021051). The results will be reported in a peer-reviewed journal and a relevant academic conference. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: UMIN000047351.

[Difficult Airway Management (DAM) Algorithms - A narrative synopsis and site assessment]. / Algorithmen zum Atemwegsmanagement.

Centuries ago an "algorithm" was originally inaugurated to depicture a pathway to solve mathematical problems using a decision tree. Nowadays this tool is also well established in clinical medicine. Ever since management errors in difficult airway handling and subsequent litigations remain high referring to ASA closed claims database. However, even since 2010, the ESA postulates every institution dealing with airway management should have a DAM algorithm (ESA Declaration of Helsinki on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology). In 2018 a systematic review of 38 international DAM algorithms was published; most of them show a four-step flow chart: failed tracheal intubation, insufficient bag-mask ventilation and supraglottic airway, leads to establish an emergency sugical airway. In conclusion authors state that a universal, globally valid, DAM algorithm is lacking. German language guideline development is governed by the AWMF, which labels guidelines with the highest evidence levels and methodological strength "S3". The ASA published a revised DAM practice guideline in 2022, which was developed by 13 international members and was endorsed by international anesthesiological societies. - Though it is based on a systematic literature search and evaluation, final recommendations (without grading) were generated by a survey among experts in the field: Pre-procedural evaluation of the airway is essential; meanwhile more data are available especially regarding ultrasound examination of the upper airway and in 2022 a promising nomogram was developed for the prediction of difficult laryngoscopy. Pre-procedural planning of expected DAM: it should be decided beforehand, if awake intubation is feasible for the patient. Preoxygenation of every elective patient (3 mins with PEEP 5 cmH2O, aim: 95% pulse oxymetry) and continuous nasal high-flow oxygen delivery during airway management. In case of unexpectedly difficult/emergency airway, ASA recommends: call for help, use cognitive aid (algorithm), consider restoration of spontaneous breathing, adjust bag-mask ventilation, monitor time passing; if "cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate" situation occurs (etCO2 < 10 mmHg, < 80% pulse oxymetry) establish surgical airway; if failed consider ECMO therapy, if feasible and available. ASA restricts intubation attempts to 3+ based on experience and decision of the clinician, however evidence shows, that attempts should not exceed 2 attempts to avoid serious complications, e.g. hyoxemia and even cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Additionally, we recommend a cockpit strategy for airway management using crisis resource elements as used in aviation (situation awareness, sterile communication, read-back/hear-back and canned decisions) and a supervisor/team leader as already established in CPR. Last, but not least, continuous airway management training increases algorithm adherence.

Low-cost versus high-fidelity pediatric simulators for difficult airway management training: a randomized study in continuing medical education.

BACKGROUND: High-fidelity (HF) pediatric patient simulators are expensive. This randomized study aimed to compare the quality and educational impact of a full-scale simulation workshop with an HF infant simulator (SimBaby™, Laerdal) or with a low-cost (LC) simulator composed of an inert infant manikin with SimBaby™ software that displays respiratory/hemodynamic parameters on a monitor for medical education in pediatric difficult airway management. METHODS: After written informed consent, anesthetists and emergency or ICU physicians participated in teams (4 to 6 participants) in a training session that included direct participation and observation of two difficult intubation scenarios. They were randomized into two groups (HF group, n = 65 and LC group, n = 63). They filled out a simulation quality score (SQS, 0 to 50), self-evaluated their anesthetists' non-technical skills (ANTS) score (15 to 60), and an educational quality score (EQS, 0 to 60) immediately (T0, main criteria), as well as 3 (T3) and 6 (T6) months after the training session. RESULTS: We enrolled 128 physicians. Direct participation SQS (39 ± 5 HF group versus 38 ± 5 LC group), observation SQS (41 ± 4 H F group versus 39 ± 5 LC group), ANTS scores (38 ± 4 HF group versus 39 ± 6 LC group), T0 SQS (44 ± 5 HF group versus 43 ± 6 LC group), T3 and T6 SQS were not different between groups. CONCLUSION: Our low-cost simulator should be suggested as a less expensive alternative to an HF simulator for continuing medical education in pediatric difficult airway management.

Implementation of video laryngoscopes and the development in airway management strategy and prevalence of difficult tracheal intubation: A national cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the development in the use of video laryngoscopy over a 9-year period, and its possible impact on airway planning and management. METHODS: We retrieved 822,259 records of tracheal intubations recorded from 2008 to 2016 in the Danish Anaesthesia Database. The circumstances regarding pre-operative airway assessment, the scheduled airway management plan and the actual airway management concerning video laryngoscopy were reported for each year of observation. Further, the association between year of observation and various airway management related outcomes was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in airway management with 'advanced technique successfully used within two attempts' from 2.7% in 2008 to 15.5% in 2016 (p < .0001). This predominantly reflects use of video laryngoscopy. The prevalence of tracheal intubations 'scheduled for video laryngoscopy' increased from 3.5% in 2008 to 10.6% in 2016 (p < .0001). We found a significant increase in the prevalence of anticipated difficulties with intubations by direct laryngoscopy from 1.8% in 2008 to 5.2% in 2016 (p < .0001). The prevalence of failed tracheal intubations decreased from 0.14% in 2008 to 0.05% in 2016 (p < .0001). CONCLUSION: From 2008 to 2016, a period of massive implementation of video laryngoscopes, a significant change in airway management behaviour was recorded. Increasingly, video laryngoscopy is becoming a first-choice device for both acute and routine airway management. Most importantly, the data showed a noticeable reduction in failed intubation over the time of observation.

Preoperative airway ultrasound assessment in the sniffing position: a prospective observational study

Abstract Background: Clinical airway screening tests intend to predict difficult airways, but none have a high predictive value. Recent systematic reviews correlate ultrasound with difficult laryngoscopy. This study aimed primarily to correlate ultrasound measurements of anatomical upper airway structures in the sniffing position with difficult direct laryngoscopy. The secondary aim was to observe gender-based differences. Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional, single-center observational study included 209 patients requiring general anesthesia for elective surgery. Preoperatively, we performed six clinical airway assessments and three ultrasound measurements, which were the Distance from Skin to the Hyoid Bone (DSHB), to the Epiglottis (DSE), and to the anterior commissure of the vocal cords (DSAC) in a sniffing position. Benumof's criteria for the "best view at the first attempt" for direct laryngoscopy assessed the difficulty of laryngoscopy. Results: The distance from skin to the epiglottis was the best predictor of direct difficult laryngoscopy (defined as Cormack-Lehane grade > 2b) with a minimum thickness cut-off at 2.70 ± 0.19 cm (sensitivity 91.3%; specificity 96.9%). The skin to the hyoid bone distance cut-off was 1.41 ± 0.30 cm with moderate correlation (sensitivity 80.4%; specificity 60.1%). No correlation was found for the distance to the anterior commissure of the vocal cords. In women compared to men, the skin to the epiglottis distance was more sensitive (92.3% vs. 90.9%) and specific (98.8% vs. 95.2%). Conclusions: DSE in the sniffing position is the most reliable parameter for preoperative airway ultrasound assessment in the Caucasian population, with higher sensitivity and specificity in women, and might be considered as an independent predictor for direct difficult laryngoscopy.

ASSESSMENT OF STANDARD ANTHROPOMETRIC AIRWAY CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT FOR AIRWAY MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME DURING SLEEP BREATHING DISORDER SURGERY: A RETROSPECTIVE, SINGLE CENTER STUDY.

The aim of this study was to explore standard anthropometric airway characteristics of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and determine the incidence and risk factors for difficult airway management. Final analysis included 91 patients with polysomnography-verified diagnosis of OSAS who underwent sleep breathing disorder surgery under general anesthesia with direct laryngoscopy oroendotracheal intubation. The incidence of difficult manual mask ventilation during anesthesia induction, difficult intubation and immediate postextubation respiratory complications was 17.6%, 7.7% and 7.7%, respectively. Compared to patients without difficult manual mask ventilation, the group of OSAS patients with difficult manual mask ventilation had a higher rate of body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kgm-2 (p=0.010), Mallampati score ≥3 (p=0.024) and Cormack-Lehane score ≥3 (p=0.002). The OSAS patients with difficult intubation had more Cormack-Lehane score ≥3 (p=0.002) in comparison to those without difficult intubation. Our study demonstrated that manual mask ventilation during anesthesia induction was the most troublesome airway management task in OSAS patients during sleep breathing disorder surgery. Cormack-Lehane score was a relevant determinator of difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation, while Mallampati score and BMI were relevant determinators only for difficult manual mask ventilation.

Guía de valoración pediátrica de urgencias en Cuba / Guide of pediatric emergency assessment in Cuba

La valoración pediátrica de urgencias tiene características especiales respecto al resto de la atención pediátrica. El diagnóstico final será una prioridad secundaria. Es una evaluación clínica, cuyo intento principal es la identificación de aspectos anatómicos y fisiológicos anormales, la estimación de la gravedad de la enfermedad o lesión y la determinación de la necesidad de tratamiento urgente. El objetivo de esta colaboración es brindar una sistemática clara, con una secuencia de valoraciones y acciones que sirvan de base para la toma de decisiones clínicas orientadas a la estabilización del paciente y a evitar situaciones que pueden amenazar la vida en poco tiempo. El triángulo de evaluación pediátrica, la secuencia ABCDE, una breve anamnesis y examen enfocado que identifique el motivo de consulta de mayor prioridad, signos de alarma que pueden cambiar la prioridad y las reevaluaciones frecuentes serán los pilares de la actuación médica. Con el propósito de respetar el derecho del niño al disfrute del más alto nivel posible de salud, de garantizar la calidad asistencial y la seguridad de los pacientes pediátricos con entidades agudas o traumatismos, el grupo nacional de pediatría desarrolló y aprobó la guía de valoración pediátrica de urgencias en Cuba. Mediante la aplicación de esta guía se puede optimizar el proceso de valoración pediátrica de urgencias de forma que los pacientes de este segmento de edad reciban el nivel de cuidados médicos más apropiado para su situación clínica(AU)

The pediatric emergency assessment has special characteristics with respect to the rest of pediatric care. The final diagnosis will be a secondary priority. It is a clinical evaluation, and the main purpose of it is the identification of abnormal anatomical and physiological aspects, the estimation of the severity of the disease or injury and the determination of the need for urgent treatment. The objective of this collaboration is to provide a clear system, with a sequence of assessments and actions that serve as a basis for clinical decision-making aimed at stabilizing the patient and avoiding life-threatening situations in a short time. The pediatric assessment triangle, the ABCDE sequence, a brief history and focused examination that identifies the highest priority reason for consultation, warning signs that may change priority and frequent re-evaluations will be the pillars of medical action. To respect the right of the child to have access to the highest possible level of health, to guarantee the quality of care and its safety in the face of acute conditions or trauma, the National Group of Pediatrics developed and approved the guide for pediatric emergency assessment in Cuba. Through its application, the pediatric emergency evaluation process can be optimized so that patients of this age segment receive the most appropriate level of medical care for their clinical situation(AU)

Prevalence and commonality of non-technical skills and human factors in airway management guidelines: a narrative review of the last 5 years.

The primary aim of this review was to identify, analyse and codify the prominence and nature of human factors and ergonomics within difficult airway management algorithms. A directed search across OVID Medline and PubMed databases was performed. All articles were screened for relevance to the research aims and according to predetermined exclusion criteria. We identified 26 published airway management algorithms. A coding framework was iteratively developed identifying human factors and ergonomic specific words and phrases based on the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety model. This framework was applied to the papers to delineate qualitative and quantitative results. Our results show that human factors are well represented within recent airway management guidelines. Human factors associated with work systems and processes featured more prominently than user and patient outcome measurement and adaption. Human factors are an evolving area in airway management and our results highlight that further considerations are necessary in further guideline development.

Supraglottic airway device versus tracheal intubation in the initial airway management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: the AIRWAYS-2 cluster RCT.

BACKGROUND: When a cardiac arrest occurs, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be started immediately. However, there is limited evidence about the best approach to airway management during cardiac arrest. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether or not the i-gel® (Intersurgical Ltd, Wokingham, UK) supraglottic airway is superior to tracheal intubation as the initial advanced airway management strategy in adults with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. DESIGN: This was a pragmatic, open, parallel, two-group, multicentre, cluster randomised controlled trial. A cost-effectiveness analysis accompanied the trial. SETTING: The setting was four ambulance services in England. PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged ≥ 18 years who had a non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and were attended by a participating paramedic were enrolled automatically under a waiver of consent between June 2015 and August 2017. Follow-up ended in February 2018. INTERVENTION: Paramedics were randomised 1 : 1 to use tracheal intubation (764 paramedics) or i-gel (759 paramedics) for their initial advanced airway management and were unblinded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was modified Rankin Scale score at hospital discharge or 30 days after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, whichever occurred earlier, collected by assessors blinded to allocation. The modified Rankin Scale, a measure of neurological disability, was dichotomised: a score of 0-3 (good outcome) or 4-6 (poor outcome/death). The primary outcome for the economic evaluation was quality-adjusted life-years, estimated using the EuroQol-5 Dimensions, five-level version. RESULTS: A total of 9296 patients (supraglottic airway group, 4886; tracheal intubation group, 4410) were enrolled [median age 73 years; 3373 (36.3%) women]; modified Rankin Scale score was known for 9289 patients. Characteristics were similar between groups. A total of 6.4% (311/4882) of patients in the supraglottic airway group and 6.8% (300/4407) of patients in the tracheal intubation group had a good outcome (adjusted difference in proportions of patients experiencing a good outcome: -0.6%, 95% confidence interval -1.6% to 0.4%). The supraglottic airway group had a higher initial ventilation success rate than the tracheal intubation group [87.4% (4255/4868) vs. 79.0% (3473/4397), respectively; adjusted difference in proportions of patients: 8.3%, 95% confidence interval 6.3% to 10.2%]; however, patients in the tracheal intubation group were less likely to receive advanced airway management than patients in the supraglottic airway group [77.6% (3419/4404) vs. 85.2% (4161/4883), respectively]. Regurgitation rate was similar between the groups [supraglottic airway group, 26.1% (1268/4865); tracheal intubation group, 24.5% (1072/4372); adjusted difference in proportions of patients: 1.4%, 95% confidence interval -0.6% to 3.4%], as was aspiration rate [supraglottic airway group, 15.1% (729/4824); tracheal intubation group, 14.9% (647/4337); adjusted difference in proportions of patients: 0.1%, 95% confidence interval -1.5% to 1.8%]. The longer-term outcomes were also similar between the groups (modified Rankin Scale: at 3 months, odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.69 to 1.14; at 6 months, odds ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 1.16). Sensitivity analyses did not alter the overall findings. There were no unexpected serious adverse events. Mean quality-adjusted life-years to 6 months were 0.03 in both groups (supraglottic airway group minus tracheal intubation group difference -0.0015, 95% confidence interval -0.0059 to 0.0028), and total costs were £157 (95% confidence interval -£270 to £583) lower in the tracheal intubation group. Although the point estimate of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio suggested that tracheal intubation may be cost-effective, the huge uncertainty around this result indicates no evidence of a difference between groups. LIMITATIONS: Limitations included imbalance in the number of patients in each group, caused by unequal distribution of high-enrolling paramedics; crossover between groups; and the fact that participating paramedics, who were volunteers, might not be representative of all paramedics in the UK. Findings may not be applicable to other countries. CONCLUSION: Among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, randomisation to the supraglottic airway group compared with the tracheal intubation group did not result in a difference in outcome at 30 days. There were no notable differences in costs, outcomes and overall cost-effectiveness between the groups. FUTURE WORK: Future work could compare alternative supraglottic airway types with tracheal intubation; include a randomised trial of bag mask ventilation versus supraglottic airways; and involve other patient populations, including children, people with trauma and people in hospital. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial is registered as ISRCTN08256118. FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and supported by the NIHR Comprehensive Research Networks and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 21. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrest is a serious medical emergency in which the heartbeat and breathing stop suddenly. Every year in the UK, a large number of patients (around 123 per 100,000) suffer a cardiac arrest outside hospital. Only 7­9% of these patients survive to leave hospital. The best initial treatment in cardiac arrest is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (commonly known as CPR), during which it is vital to give chest compressions and maintain a clear airway. Two main techniques are used to keep the airway clear: tracheal intubation (inserting a breathing tube into the windpipe) and a supraglottic airway device (a newer device that is inserted less deeply and sits just above the voicebox). Both techniques are used routinely by paramedics in the UK when treating a cardiac arrest, but there is no evidence about which technique is best. The AIRWAYS-2 trial aimed to find out whether or not a supraglottic airway device is better than tracheal intubation. WHO PARTICIPATED AND WHAT WAS INVOLVED?: Paramedics from four UK ambulance services were put into one of two groups at random. One group was randomly chosen to use tracheal intubation and the other group was randomly chosen to use a supraglottic airway device at all adult cardiac arrests they attended for approximately 2 years. Paramedics were able to apply their clinical judgement and use a different device if they felt that this would be best for the patient. A total of 1523 paramedics took part and enrolled 9296 patients. Following cardiac arrest, a patient's recovery was assessed as good or poor (including patients who did not survive). WHAT DID THE TRIAL FIND?: A similar percentage of patients in both groups had a good recovery. There was no evidence to suggest that the supraglottic airway device was any better than tracheal intubation for treating a cardiac arrest.

A Decision Tree Approach to Airway Management Pathways in the 2022 Difficult Airway Algorithm of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) Task Force on Management of the Difficult Airway has developed a decision tree tool that uses inductive assessments to guide the anesthesiologist's choice of pathway in the ASA's Difficult Airway Algorithm. The tool prompts the anesthesiologist to consider the risk of difficulty with laryngoscopy (direct or indirect) and tracheal intubation, facemask or supraglottic ventilation, gastric contents aspiration, and rapid oxyhemoglobin desaturation. For every airway management event, the approach integrates the anesthesiologist's unique combination of experience, expertise, patient anatomy and disease, equipment availability, and other contextual conditions into the decision process. Entry into the awake intubation pathway is encouraged when the patient is judged at risk of difficult tracheal intubation and one or more of the following: difficult ventilation, significant aspiration risk, and/or rapid oxyhemoglobin desaturation. The decision tree tool is anticipated to improve communication between anesthesiologists and others by clearly identifying those factors of concern and how decision-making is affected by those concerns.

Understanding the Economic Impact of an Essential Service: Applying Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing to the Hospital Airway Response Team.

BACKGROUND: As the United States moves toward value-based care metrics, it will become essential for anesthesia groups nationwide to understand the costs of their services. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) estimates the amount of time it takes to perform a clinical activity by dividing complex tasks into process steps and mapping each step and has historically been used to estimate the costs of various health care services. TDABC is a tool that can be adapted for variable staffing models and the volume of service provided. Anesthesia departments often provide staffing for airway response teams (ART). The economic implications of staffing ART have not been well described. We present a TDABC model for ART activation in a tertiary-care center to estimate the cost incurred by an anesthesiology department to staff an ART. METHODS: Pages received by the Brigham and Women's Hospital ART over a 24-month time period (January 2019 to December 2020) were analyzed and categorized. The local administrative database was queried for the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code used to bill for emergency airway placements. Sessions were held by multiple members of the ART to create process maps for the different types of ART activations. We estimated the staffing costs using the estimated time it took for each type of ART activation as well as the data collected for local ART activations. RESULTS: From the paging records, we analyzed 3368 activations of the ART. During the study period, 1044 airways were billed for with emergency airway CPT code. The average revenue collected per airway was $198.45 (95% CI, $190-$207). For STAT/Emergency airway team activations, process maps and non-STAT airway team activations were created, and third subprocess map was created for performing endotracheal intubation. Using the TDABC, the total staffing costs are estimated to be $218,601 for the 2-year study period. The ART generated $207,181 in revenue during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of ART-activation pages suggests that while the revenue generated may cover the cost of staffing the team during ART activations, it does not cover consumable equipment costs. Additionally, the current fee-for-service model relies on the team being able to perform other clinical duties in addition to covering the airway pager and would be impossible to capture using traditional top-down costing methods. By using TDABC, anesthesia groups can demonstrate how certain services, such as ART, are not fully covered by current reimbursement models and how to negotiate for subsidy agreements.As the transition from traditional fee-for-service payments to value-based care models continues in the United States, improving the understanding and communication of medical care costs will be essential. In the United States, it is common for anesthesia groups to receive direct revenue from hospitals to preserve financial viability, and therefore, knowledge of true cost is essential regardless of payer model.1 With traditional payment models, what is billable and nonbillable may not reflect either the need for or the cost of providing the service. As anesthesia departments navigate the transition of care from volume to value, actual costs will be essential to understand for negotiations with hospitals for support when services are nonbillable, when revenue from payers does not cover anesthesia costs, and when calculating the appropriate share for anesthesia departments when bundled payments are distributed.

Airway management in the operating room setting: An analysis of reported safety events.

Adverse event reporting systems are important tools for identifying areas of risk and opportunities quality improvement. Perioperative airway management (PAM) carries patient risk. We examine the nature of PAM incident reports at an academic tertiary care center. In this retrospective data review, perioperative safety reports filed under "Airway Management" between 2015 and 2020 were analyzed. Data analyzed included severity level (patient harm) and specific event type. There was a total of 7827 safety reports filed from January 2015 to July 2020, with 67 reports related to "Airway Management" (0.85%). The most common specific event type in this safety reporting database was "Intubation Injury (Mouth, Tooth, Airway)" (35.8%). The most common severity level of all reported events was level 2 (temporary or minor harm, 57%). Our safety reporting data demonstrates that adverse events related to PAM are likely to reach the patient and can cause significant harm. Data from our findings can help providers and risk managers to focus efforts on reducing patient harm. Strategies include continued education in technical skills and crisis management, preparation for the difficult airway, increased availability of video laryngoscopes, ongoing safety reporting and collaborative review of adverse events with implementation of quality improvement measures.

Epidemiology of out-of-hospital pediatric airway management in the 2019 national emergency medical services information system data set.

OBJECTIVE: Airway management is an important priority in the care of critically ill children. We sought to provide updated estimates of the epidemiology of pediatric out-of-hospital airway management and ventilation interventions in the United States. METHODS: We used data from the 2019 National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) data set. We performed a descriptive analysis of all patients < 18 years receiving one or more of the following: bag-valve-mask ventilation (BVM), tracheal intubation (TI), supraglottic airway (SGA) insertion, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) and surgical airway placement. We determined success and complication rates for each airway procedure. RESULTS: Among 1,148,943 pediatric patient care encounters, airway and ventilation interventions occurred in 22,637 (1,970 per 100,000 pediatric Emergency Medical Services (EMS) activations), including 64% <11 years old, 56.1% male, 16.9% cardiac arrest, 16.6% injured, and 83.9% in urban areas. Airway interventions included: BVM 3,997 (17.7% of pediatric airway encounters), TI 3,165 (14.0%), SGA 582 (2.6%), CPAP/BiPAP 331 (1.5%) and surgical airway 29 (0.1%). TI success was 75.2% (95% CI 73.7-76.7%) and lowest for the 0-1 month age group (56.8%; 49.2-64.2%). SGA success was 88.0% (95% CI 85.1-90.6%). Vomiting was the most common airway complication (n = 223, 1%). CONCLUSIONS: BVM and advanced airway management occur in 1 of every 51 pediatric EMS encounters. BVM is the most commonly prehospital pediatric airway management technique, followed by TI and SGA insertion. These data provide contemporary perspectives of pediatric prehospital airway management.

An assessment of introducers used for airway management.

Different introducers are available to assist with tracheal intubation. Subtle differences in the design of introducers can have a marked effect on safety and performance. The Difficult Airway Society's Airway Device Evaluation Project Team proposal states that devices should only be purchased for which there is at least a case-control study on patients assessing airway devices. However, resources are not currently available to carry out a case-control study on all introducers available on the market. This study comprised a laboratory and manikin-based investigation to identify introducers that could be suitable for clinical investigation. We included six different introducers in laboratory-based assessments (design characteristics) and manikin-based assessments involving the participation of 30 anaesthetists. Each anaesthetist attempted placement in the manikin's trachea with each of the six introducers in a random order. Outcomes included first-time insertion success rate; insertion success rate; number of attempts; time to placement; and distance placed. Each anaesthetist also completed a questionnaire. First-time insertion success rate depended significantly on the introducer used (p = 0.0016) and varied from 47% (Armstrong and P3) to 77% (Intersurgical and Frova). Median time to placement (including oesophageal placement) varied from 10 s (Eschmann and Frova) to 20 s (P3) (p = 0.0025). Median time to successful placement in the trachea varied from 9 s (Frova) to 22 s (Armstrong) (p = 0.037). We found that the Armstrong and P3 devices were not as acceptable as other introducers and, without significant improvements to their design and characteristics, the use of these devices in studies on patients is questionable. The study protocol is suitable for differentiating between different introducers and could be used as a basis for assessing other types of devices.

A surgical needs assessment for airway rapid responses: A retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Airway rapid response (ARR) teams can be compiled of anesthesiologists, intensivists, otolaryngologists, general and thoracic surgeons, respiratory therapists, and nurses. The optimal composition of an ARR team is unknown but considered to be resource intensive. We sought to determine the type of technical procedures performed during an ARR activation to inform team composition. METHODS: A large urban quaternary academic medical center retrospective review (2016-2019) of adult ARR patients was performed. Analysis included ARR demographics, patient characteristics, characteristics of preexisting tracheostomies, incidence of concomitant conditions, and procedures completed during an ARR event. RESULTS: A total of 345 ARR patients with a median age of 60 years (interquartile range, 47-69 years) and a median time to ARR conclusion of 28 minutes (interquartile range, 14-47 minutes) were included. About 41.7% of the ARR had a preexisting tracheostomy. Overall, there were 130 procedures completed that can be performed by a general surgeon in addition to the 122 difficult intubations. These procedures included recannulation of a tracheostomy, operative intervention, new emergent tracheostomy or cricothyroidotomy, thoracostomy tube placement, initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and pericardiocentesis. CONCLUSION: Highly technical procedures are common during an ARR, including procedures related to tracheostomies. Surgeons possess a comprehensive skill set that is unique and comprehensive with respect to airway emergencies. This distinctive skill set creates an important role within the ARR team to perform these urgent technical procedures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Epidemiologic/prognostic, level III.