Preventing unrecognized esophageal intubation in the emergency department.

Tracheal intubation is a commonly performed procedure on critically ill patients in the emergency department. It is associated with many serious complications, one of the most dangerous being unrecognized esophageal intubation, which can result in anoxic brain injury, cardiac arrest, or death. It is the responsibility of the emergency physician to do everything possible to avoid this devastating complication. Preventing unrecognized esophageal intubation requires a two-pronged approach. First, the inadvertent placement of intended tracheal tubes into the esophagus must be reduced as much as is humanly possible. This can be achieved with the routine use of video laryngoscopes for emergency department intubations. Numerous studies have demonstrated that use of video laryngoscopes can significantly reduce the occurrence of esophageal intubation, presumably by providing an improved view of the larynx. Second, if an esophageal intubation inadvertently occurs, it must be rapidly identified and appropriately addressed. The cornerstone of rapid identification is the use of continuous waveform capnography to detect exhaled carbon dioxide. Capnography has been shown to be the most accurate method to determine tube placement after intubation. Standard clinical examinations, for example, auscultation of breath sounds, visualization of chest excursion, and observation of condensation in the tube, have all been demonstrated in studies to be unreliable and thus should not be used to exclude esophageal intubation. Recently, the Project for Universal Management of Airways, an international collaborative of airway experts from anesthesiology, critical care and emergency medicine, published evidence-based guidelines to specifically address the issue of preventing unrecognized esophageal intubation. These guidelines, which have received endorsement from several prominent airway societies, including the Society for Airway Management, the Difficult Airway Society, and the European Airway Management Society, will be briefly discussed in this review.

The Pediatric Rigid Stylet Improves First-Pass Success Compared With the Standard Malleable Stylet and Tracheal Tube Introducer in a Simulated Pediatric Emergency Intubation.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric emergency intubation is a high-acuity, low-occurrence procedure. Despite advances in technology, the success of this procedure remains low and adverse events are very high. Prospective observational studies in children have demonstrated improved success with the use of video laryngoscopy (VL) compared with direct laryngoscopy, although reported first-pass success (FPS) rates are lower than that reported for adults. This may in part be due to difficulty directing the tracheal tube to the laryngeal inlet considering the cephalad position of the larynx in infants. Using airway adjuncts such as the pediatric rigid stylet (PRS) or a tracheal tube introducer (TTI) may aid with intubation to the cephalad positioned airway when performing VL. The objectives of this study were to assess the FPS and time to intubation when intubating an infant manikin with a standard malleable stylet (SMS) compared with a PRS and TTI. METHODS: This was a randomized cross-over study performed at an academic institution both with emergency medicine (EM) and combined pediatric and EM (EM&PEDS) residency programs. Emergency medicine and EM&PEDS residents were recruited to participate. Each resident performed intubations on a 6-month-old infant simulator using a standard geometry C-MAC Miller 1 video laryngoscope and 3 different intubation adjuncts (SMS, PRS, TTI) in a randomized fashion. All sessions were video recorded for data analysis. The primary outcome was FPS using the 3 different intubation adjuncts. The secondary outcome was the mean time to intubation (in seconds) for each adjunct. RESULTS: Fifty-one participants performed 227 intubations. First-pass success with the SMS was 73% (37/51), FPS was 94% (48/51) with the PRS, and 29% (15/51) with the TTI. First-pass success was lower with the SMS (-43%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -63% to -23%; P < 0.01) and significantly lower with the TTI compared with PRS (difference -65%; 95% CI, -81% to -49%; P < 0.01). First-pass success while using the PRS was higher than SMS (difference 22%, 7% to 36%; P < 0.01). The mean time to intubation using the SMS was 44 ± 13 seconds, the PRS was 38 ± 11 seconds, and TTI was 59 ± 15 seconds. The mean time to intubation was higher with SMS (difference 15 seconds; 95% CI, 10 to 20 seconds; P < 0.01) and significantly higher with the TTI compared with PRS (difference 21 seconds; 95% CI, 17 to 26 seconds; P < 0.01). Time to intubation with the PRS was lower than SMS (difference -7 seconds; 95% CI, -11 to -2 seconds; P < 0.01). The ease of use was significantly higher for the PRS compared with the TTI when operators rated them on a visual analog scale (91 vs 20 mm). CONCLUSIONS: Use of the PRS by EM and EM&PEDS residents on an infant simulator was associated with increased FPS and shorter time to intubation. Clinical studies are warranted comparing these intubation aids in children.

Time to Renitrogenation After Maximal Denitrogenation in Healthy Volunteers in the Supine and Sitting Positions.

INTRODUCTION: Prior to intubation, preoxygenation is performed to denitrogenate the lungs and create an oxygen reservoir. After oxygen is removed, it is unclear whether renitrogenation after preoxygenation occurs faster in the supine vs the sitting position. METHODS: We enrolled 80 healthy volunteers who underwent two preoxygenation and loss of preoxygenation procedures (one while supine and one while sitting) via bag-valve-mask ventilation with spontaneous breathing. End-tidal oxygen (ETO2) measurements were recorded as fraction of expired oxygen prior to preoxygenation, at the time of adequate preoxygenation (ETO2 >85%), and then every five seconds after the oxygen was removed until the ETO2 values reached their recorded baseline. RESULTS: The mean ETO2 at completion of preoxygenation was 86% (95% confidence interval 85-88%). Volunteers in both the supine and upright position lost >50% of their denitrogenation in less than 60 seconds. Within 25 seconds, all subjects had an ETO2 of <70%. Complete renitrogenation, defined as return to baseline ETO2, occurred in less than 160 seconds for all volunteers. CONCLUSION: Preoxygenation loss, or renitrogenation, occurred rapidly after oxygen removal and was not different in the supine and sitting positions. After maximal denitrogenation in healthy volunteers, renitrogenation occurred rapidly after oxygen removal and was not different in the supine and sitting positions.

Intubation During Pediatric Cardiac Arrest in the Emergency Department Is Associated With Reduced First-Pass Success.

BACKGROUND: Airway compromise and respiratory failure are leading causes of pediatric cardiac arrest making advanced airway management central to pediatric resuscitation. Previous literature has demonstrated that achieving first-pass success (FPS) is associated with fewer adverse events. In cardiac arrest for adult patients, increasing number of intubation attempts is associated with lower likelihood of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and favorable neurologic outcome. There is limited evidence regarding advanced airway management for pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the emergency department (ED). The purpose of this study was to compare FPS in pediatric OHCA and non-cardiac arrest patients in the ED. METHODS: This is an analysis of pediatric intubations prospectively recorded into a continuous quality improvement database in an academic pediatric ED over a 12-year period. Between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2019, physicians recorded all intubations performed in the pediatric ED. The database included patient demographics and detailed information about each intubation such as age of the patient, reason for intubation, number of intubation attempts, and outcome of each attempt. All patients younger than 18 years who underwent intubation in the ED were eligible for inclusion in the study. The primary outcome was FPS for pediatric patients in cardiac arrest compared with those not in cardiac arrest. A logistic regressions analysis was performed to identify characteristics associated with FPS in OHCA patients. RESULTS: Six hundred eight pediatric patients were intubated during the study period. One hundred three pediatric patients had OHCA compared with 459 non-cardiac arrest patients who underwent rapid sequence intubation. In patients with OHCA, 47.6% had FPS (95% confidence interval [CI], 38.2%-57.1%), 33% required 2 attempts (95% CI, 24.7%-42.6%), and 19.4% required 3 or more attempts (95% CI, 12.9%-28.2%). In patients without OHCA, 75.4% had FPS (95% CI, 75.4%-79.1%), 15% required 2 attempts (95% CI, 12.0%-18.6%), and 9.6% required 3 or more attempts (95% CI, 7.2%-12.6%). Cardiac arrest was associated with a reduction in FPS adjusted odds ratio 0.44 (95% CI, 0.26-0.77). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that pediatric OHCA is associated with reduced FPS in the ED. Although additional studies are needed, rescuers should prioritize restoring effective oxygenation and ventilation and optimizing intubation conditions before an advanced airway attempt.

First Pass Success Without Adverse Events Is Reduced Equally with Anatomically Difficult Airways and Physiologically Difficult Airways.

INTRODUCTION: The goal of emergency airway management is first pass success without adverse events (FPS-AE). Anatomically difficult airways are well appreciated to be an obstacle to this goal. However, little is known about the effect of the physiologically difficult airway with regard to FPS-AE. This study evaluates the effects of both anatomically and physiologically difficult airways on FPS-AE in patients undergoing rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We analyzed prospectively recorded intubations in a continuous quality improvement database between July 1, 2014-June 30, 2018. Emergency medicine (EM) or emergency medicine/pediatric (EM-PEDS) residents recorded patient, operator, and procedural characteristics on all consecutive adult RSIs performed using a direct or video laryngoscope. The presence of specific anatomically and physiologically difficult airway characteristics were also documented by the operator. Patients were analyzed in four cohorts: 1) no anatomically or physiologically difficult airway characteristics; 2) one or more anatomically difficult airway characteristics; 3) one or more physiologically difficult airway characteristics; and 4) both anatomically and physiologically difficult airway characteristics. The primary outcome was FPS-AE. We performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine the association between anatomically difficult airways or physiologically difficult airways and FPS-AE. RESULTS: A total of 1513 intubations met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. FPS-AE for patients without any difficult airway characteristics was 92.4%, but reduced to 82.1% (difference = -10.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI), -14.8% to -5.6%) with the presence of one or more anatomically difficult airway characteristics, and 81.7% (difference = -10.7%, 95% CI, -17.3% to -4.0%) with the presence of one or more physiologically difficult airway characteristics. FPS-AE was further reduced to 70.9% (difference = -21.4%, 95% CI, -27.0% to -16.0%) with the presence of both anatomically and physiologically difficult airway characteristics. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of FPS-AE was 0.37 [95% CI, 0.21 - 0.66] in patients with anatomically difficult airway characteristics and 0.36 [95% CI, 0.19 - 0.67] for patients with physiologically difficult airway characteristics, compared to patients with no difficult airway characteristics. Patients who had both anatomically and physiologically difficult airway characteristics had a further decreased aOR of FPS-AE of 0.19 [95% CI, 0.11 - 0.33]. CONCLUSION: FPS-AE is reduced to a similar degree in patients with anatomically and physiologically difficult airways. Operators should assess and plan for potential physiologic difficulty as is routinely done for anatomically difficulty airways. Optimization strategies to improve FPS-AE for patients with physiologically difficult airways should be studied in randomized controlled trials.

Clinical Experience With the C-MAC and GlideScope in a Pediatric Emergency Department Over a 10-Year Period.

OBJECTIVE: There is little literature describing the performance of video laryngoscopes for the intubation of pediatric patients in the emergency department (ED). The purpose of this study is to report our experience with direct laryngoscopy (DL), the C-MAC (CMAC), and the GlideScope (GVL) over a 10-year period in an urban academic pediatric ED. METHODS: This was an analysis of pediatric intubations prospectively recorded into a Continuous Quality Improvement database in an academic pediatric ED over a 10-year period. Between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2017, emergency physicians recorded all consecutive intubations performed in the pediatric ED. The database included patient demographics and detailed information on each intubation such as age of the patient, reason for intubation, device(s) used, method of intubation, difficult airway characteristics, adverse events, number of intubation attempts, and outcome of each attempt. All patients younger than 18 years who underwent intubation by an emergency medicine resident using a DL or videolaryngoscope (CMAC or GVL) were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was first-pass success without adverse events (FPS-AE), which was defined as successful tracheal intubation on a single laryngoscope insertion without the occurrence of any adverse events during the peri-intubation period. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to control for potential confounders and included difficult airway characteristic, operator level of training, method of intubation, and patient age. RESULTS: During the study period, 530 intubations were performed in pediatric patients. Of these, 493 intubations met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed (218 DL, 187 CMAC, 88 GVL). The FPS-AE with each device is as follows: DL, 54.1% (n = 118/218); CMAC, 64.0% (n = 119/187); and GVL, 52.3% (n = 46/88). In the logistic regression analysis, compared with DL, the CMAC was associated with a higher FPS-AE (odds ratio, 1.6 [95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.45]), whereas the GVL was not associated with an increased FPS-AE (odds ratio, 0.62 [95% confidence interval, 0.35-1.10]). CONCLUSIONS: In this study of pediatric patients intubated in the ED, compared with DL, the CMAC was associated with an increased FPS-AE, but the GVL was not.

Evaluation and Management of the Physiologically Difficult Airway: Consensus Recommendations From Society for Airway Management.

Multiple international airway societies have created guidelines for the management of the difficult airway. In critically ill patients, there are physiologic derangements beyond inadequate airway protection or hypoxemia. These risk factors contribute to the "physiologically difficult airway" and are associated with complications including cardiac arrest and death. Importantly, they are largely absent from international guidelines. Thus, we created management recommendations for the physiologically difficult airway to provide practical guidance for intubation in the critically ill. Through multiple rounds of in-person and telephone conferences, a multidisciplinary working group of 12 airway specialists (Society for Airway Management's Special Projects Committee) over a time period of 3 years (2016-2019) reviewed airway physiology topics in a modified Delphi fashion. Consensus agreement with the following recommendations among working group members was generally high with 80% of statements showing agreement within a 10% range on a sliding scale from 0% to 100%. We limited the scope of this analysis to reflect the resources and systems of care available to out-of-operating room adult airway providers. These recommendations reflect the practical application of physiologic principles to airway management available during the analysis time period.

Emergency physician use of end-tidal oxygen monitoring for rapidsequence intubation.

BACKGROUND: End-tidal oxygen (ETO2) monitoring is used by anesthesiologists to quantify the efficacy of preoxygenation before intubation but is generally not used in emergency departments (EDs). We have previously published our findings describing preoxygenation practices in the ED during blinded use of ETO2. The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether the unblinded use of ETO2 monitoring led to improvements in preoxygenation during rapid sequence intubation in the ED and also the oxygen device or technique changes that were used to achieve higher ETO2 levels. METHODS: We conducted an interventional study at 2 academic EDs in Sydney, Australia and New York City, New York using ETO2 monitoring to investigate the preoxygenation process and effectiveness. We used data collected during a previous descriptive study for the control group, in which care teams in the same 2 EDs were blinded to the ETO2 value. In the study group, clinicians could utilize ETO2 to improve preoxygenation. Following an education process, clinicians were able to choose the method of preoxygenation and the techniques required to attempt to achieve an ETO2 level >85%. The primary outcome was the difference in ETO2 levels at the time of induction between the control and study group and the secondary outcome included the methods that were attempted to improve preoxygenation. RESULTS: A convenience sample of 100 patients was enrolled in each group. The median ETO2 level achieved at the time of induction was 80% (interquartile range 61 to 86, overall range 73) in the control group and 90% in the study group (interquartile range 83 to 92, overall range 41); the median difference was 12 (95% confidence interval: 8, 16, P = < 0.001). The majority of oxygen device changes were from non-rebreather mask to bag-valve-mask (BVM) (15%, n = 15) and changes in technique from improvements in mask seal (54%, n = 34). The final device used in the study group was BVM in 87% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: In 2 clinical studies of ETO2 in academic EDs, we have demonstrated that the use of ETO2 is feasible and associated with specific and potentially improved approaches to preoxygenation. A clinical trial is needed to further study the impact of ETO2 on the preoxygenation process and the rate of hypoxemia.

Tracheal Intubation in the Critically Ill. Where We Came from and Where We Should Go.

Tracheal intubation is commonly performed in critically ill patients. Unfortunately, this procedure also carries a high risk of complications; half of critically ill patients with difficult airways experience life-threatening complications. The high complication rates stem from difficulty with laryngoscopy and tube placement, consequences of physiologic derangement, and human factors, including failure to recognize and reluctance to manage the failed airway. The last 10 years have seen a rapid expansion in devices available that help overcome anatomic difficulties with laryngoscopy and provide rescue oxygenation in the setting of failed attempts. Recent research in critically ill patients has highlighted other important considerations for critically ill patients and evaluated interventions to reduce the risks with repeated attempts, desaturation, and cardiovascular collapse during emergency airway management. There are three actions that should be implemented to reduce the risk of danger: 1) preintubation assessment for potential difficulty (e.g., MACOCHA score); 2) preparation and optimization of the patient and team for difficulty-including using a checklist, acquiring necessary equipment, maximizing preoxygenation, and hemodynamic optimization; and 3) recognition and management of failure to restore oxygenation and reduce the risk of cardiopulmonary arrest. This review describes the history of emergency airway management and explores the challenges with modern emergency airway management in critically ill patients. We offer clinically relevant recommendations on the basis of current evidence, guidelines, and expert opinion.

Improvement in the Safety of Rapid Sequence Intubation in the Emergency Department with the Use of an Airway Continuous Quality Improvement Program.

INTRODUCTION: Airway management in the critically ill is associated with a high prevalence of failed first attempts and adverse events which negatively impacts patient care. The purpose of this investigation is to describe an airway continuous quality improvement (CQI) program and its effect on the safety of rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in the emergency department (ED) over a 10-year period. METHODS: An airway CQI program with an ongoing airway registry was initiated in our ED on July 1, 2007 (Academic Year 1) and continued through June 30, 2017 (Academic Year 10). Data were prospectively collected on all patients intubated in the ED during this period using a structured airway data collection form. Key data points included method of intubation, drugs and devices used for intubation, operator specialty and level of training, number of intubation attempts, and adverse events. Adult patients who underwent RSI in the ED with an initial intubation attempt by emergency medicine (EM) resident were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was first pass success which was defined as successful tracheal intubation with a single laryngoscope insertion. The secondary outcome was the prevalence of adverse events associated with intubation. Educational and clinical interventions were introduced throughout the study period with the goal of optimizing these outcomes. Data were analyzed by academic year and are reported descriptively with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the difference of means. RESULTS: EM residents performed RSI on 342 adult patients during Academic Year 1 and on 445 adult patients during Academic Year 10. Over the 10-year study period, first pass success increased from 73.1% to 92.4% (difference = 19.3%, 95% CI 14.0% to 24.6%). The percentage of patients who experienced an adverse event associated with intubation decreased from 22.5% to 14.4% (difference = -7.9%, 95% CI -13.4% to -2.4%). The percentage of patients with first pass success without an adverse event increased from 64.0% to 80.9% (difference = 16.9%, 95% CI 10.6% to 23.1%). CONCLUSION: The use of an airway CQI program with an ongoing airway registry resulted in a substantial improvement in the overall safety of RSI in the ED as evidenced by an increase in first pass success and a decrease in adverse events.

Use of End Tidal Oxygen Monitoring to Assess Preoxygenation During Rapid Sequence Intubation in the Emergency Department.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Preoxygenation is important to prevent oxygen desaturation during emergency airway management. The purpose of this study is to describe the use of end tidal oxygen (eto2) during rapid sequence intubation in the emergency department. METHODS: This study was carried out in 2 academic centers in Sydney, Australia, and New York City. We included patients undergoing rapid sequence intubation in the emergency department. A standard gas analyzer was used to measure eto2. Preoxygenation methods included nonrebreather mask and bag-valve-mask ventilation. We measured eto2 before preoxygenation and at administration of rapid sequence intubation medications. We also characterized peri-intubation SpO2, identifying instances of SpO2 less than 90%. RESULTS: We included 100 patients during a 6-month period. Median eto2 level before and after preoxygenation was 53% (interquartile range [IQR] 43% to 65%) and 78% (IQR 64% to 86%), respectively. One fourth of patients achieved an eto2 level greater than 85%. Median eto2 level achieved varied with preoxygenation method, ranging from 80% (IQR 60% to 87%) for the nonrebreather mask group to 77% (IQR 65% to 86%) for the bag-valve-mask group. The method with the highest median eto2 level was nonrebreather mask at flush rate (86%; IQR 80% to 90%) and the lowest median eto2 level was nonrebreather mask at 15 L/min (57%; IQR 53% to 60%). Eighteen patients (18%) experienced oxygen desaturation (SpO2 <90%); of these, 14 (78%) did not reach an eto2 level greater than 85% at induction. CONCLUSION: ETO2 varied with different preoxygenation techniques employed in the emergency department. Most patients undergoing rapid sequence intubation did not achieve maximal preoxygenation. Measuring ETO2 in the emergency department may be a valuable adjunct for optimizing preoxygenation during emergency airway management.

Evaluation of an Innovative Bleeding Cricothyrotomy Model.

Objectives Emergency medicine (EM) residents are required to perform a cricothyrotomy during training as per the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines. Cricothyrotomy is a rare procedure, comprising 0.45% of emergency department airway management procedures. Procedural competence in utilizing a realistic trainer is of utmost importance. We have developed a cricothyrotomy trainer using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) three-dimensional (3D) printer and innovative bleeding tissue to enhance fidelity. We aim to evaluate the trainer's realism. Methods Implementation occurred during a difficult airway educational lab for EM residents in April 2018. Participants completed anonymous written surveys after performing a cricothyrotomy on the trainer. The survey evaluated the realism of the trainer and compared it to other available models by utilizing five-point visual analog scales (VAS). The participants rated their comfort level in performing the procedure pre- and post-educational lab on a five-point VAS. Demographic data included postgraduate year, prior clinical cricothyrotomy experience as a primary operator versus as an assistant, and previous trainer experience. The survey included open-response suggestions for trainer improvement.  Results Forty-three EM residents completed the survey (82.7%, 43/52). The mean realism rating of the trainer was 3.81 (95% CI = 3.54-4.1). The participants reported previous training on cadaver (62.8%, 27/43), porcine (46.5%, 20/43), and manikin (67.4%, 29/43) models prior to using this trainer. The bleeding cricothyrotomy trainer was rated higher than other models (4.45, 95% CI = 4.28-4.63). Participants noted improved comfort with performing the cricothyrotomy after the educational lab (average improvement of 1.23±0.75). Participants specifically commented on the realism of the bleeding and skin texture; however, they also recommended a reduction in the size of the cricothyroid membrane space.  Conclusion The innovative bleeding cricothyrotomy trainer has greater fidelity and reported superiority when compared to other commonly used nonbleeding models. This trainer provides a more advanced platform to teach an infrequent yet critical procedural skill to emergency medicine residents.

Analgosedative interventions after rapid sequence intubation with rocuronium in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: The use of etomidate and rocuronium for rapid sequence intubation (RSI) results in a duration of paralysis that exceeds the duration of sedation. The primary objective of this study was to compare the number of analgosedative (AGS) interventions early versus late post-RSI, with this drug combination. The secondary objective was to descriptively assess time to first AGS intervention. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in an academic ED in the United States between January 2015 and June 2016. The study was conducted after a pharmacy-led education program. Consecutive adult patients who received the combination of etomidate and rocuronium for RSI were included. The primary outcome measure was the number of AGS interventions post-RSI. An AGS intervention was defined as initiation of an opioid or sedative, or a dose increase of an infusion rate. Interventions were categorized as early (0-30min post-RSI) or late (60-90min post-RSI). RESULTS: The sample (n=108) had a mean age of 58±19years, and the majority was male (n=62, 57%). The mean rocuronium dose was 1.1±0.3mg/kg. There was a median of 2 interventions (IQR 1-3) that occurred early versus 0 interventions (IQR 0 to 1) that occurred late post-RSI (p<0.001). The median time to first AGS intervention was 7min (IQR 3 to 13min). CONCLUSIONS: When rocuronium was used for RSI in the ED there was no delay in provision of post-intubation sedation or analgesia, after a pharmacy-led educational program.

Effect of patient weight on first pass success and neuromuscular blocking agent dosing for rapid sequence intubation in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to determine the association between patient weight and first pass success (FPS) during rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in the ED. The secondary objective was to evaluate the association between patient weight and neuromuscular blocking agent (NMBA) dosing. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in a tertiary care academic ED. Consecutive adult patients who underwent RSI in the ED between January 2014 and June 2016 were included. Data were collected on patient, operator and procedural characteristics. The cohort was categorised into the following weight strata: <80 kg, 80 to <100 kg, 100 to <120 kg and ≥120 kg. The primary outcome of interest was FPS. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between patient weight category and FPS. NMBA dosing was reported descriptively. RESULTS: The sample included 891 patients. FPS for each weight category was as follows: <80 kg (91%), 80 to <100 kg (90%), 100 to <120 kg (91%) and ≥120 kg (76%). After adjusting for potential confounders, the heaviest weight category was associated with decreased odds of FPS (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.5, p<0.001). Median doses for succinylcholine (based on total body weight) decreased as weight increased: <80 kg (1.5 mg/kg), 80 to <100 kg (1.3 mg/kg), 100 to <120 kg (1.2 mg/kg) and ≥120 kg (1.0 mg/kg). Median doses for rocuronium (based on ideal body weight) were similar across weight categories: <80 kg (1.3 mg/kg), 80 to <100 kg (1.4 mg/kg), 100 to <120 kg (1.3 mg/kg) and ≥120 kg (1.4 mg/kg). CONCLUSIONS: Very heavy patients (>120 kg) undergoing RSI in the ED had a reduced FPS, and succinylcholine was more commonly underdosed than rocuronium in the heavier weight group.

Management of Patients with Predicted Difficult Airways in an Academic Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: Patients with difficult airways are sometimes encountered in the emergency department (ED), however, there is a little data available regarding their management. OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence, management, and outcomes of patients with predicted difficult airways in the ED. METHODS: Over the 1-year period from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, data were prospectively collected on all patients intubated in an academic ED. After each intubation, the operator completed an airway management data form. Operators performed a pre-intubation difficult airway assessment and classified patients into routine, challenging, or difficult airways. All non-arrest patients were included in the study. RESULTS: There were 456 patients that met inclusion criteria. Fifty (11%) had predicted difficult airways. In these 50 patients, neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) were used in 40 (80%), an awake intubation technique with light sedation was used in 7 (14%), and no medications were used in 3 (6%). In the 40 difficult airway patients who underwent NMBA facilitated intubation, a video laryngoscope (GlideScope 21, Verathon, Bothell, WA and C-MAC 19, Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany) was used in each of these, with a first-pass success of 90%. In the 7 patients who underwent awake intubation, a video laryngoscope was used in 5, and a flexible fiberoptic scope was used in 2. Ketamine was used in 6 of the awake intubations. None of these difficult airway patients required rescue with a surgical airway. CONCLUSIONS: Difficult airways were predicted in 11% of non-arrest patients requiring intubation in the ED, the majority of which were managed using an NMBA and a video laryngoscope with a high first-pass success.