The Theatre Recovery and Anaesthetic nurse Capnography Education (TRACE) project.

The Theatre Recovery and Anaesthetic Nurse Capnography Education (TRACE) project is a multidisciplinary quality improvement project. The overall aim is to educate anaesthetic and recovery nurses on the correct use of capnography and educate non-consultant hospital doctors on the guidelines on Preventing Unrecognised Oesophageal Intubation from the Project for Universal Management of Airways group. This project addresses technical aspects of task performance such as correct waveform identification and interpretation, troubleshooting abnormal waveforms and establishing routine checks of capnography both pre-induction and post-intubation. The pre-induction verification of the correct function of capnography is an essential component of this project. In addition, the project focuses on team aspects of task performance with an emphasis on team psychological safety, empowering nurses to speak up using graded assertiveness and flattening hierarchies. As a result of the project, our nurses' knowledge about capnography and waveform identification improved to over 80% correct answers six months after completion of the project. In addition, over 90% of participants reported feeling confident in speaking up to both consultants and non-consultant hospital doctors when a waveform was not present before induction of anaesthesia or after attempted tracheal intubation.

Assessing a novel second generation laryngeal mask airway using the 'ADEPT' approach: results from the LMA® Protector™ observational study.

To address the problem of lack of clinical evidence for airway devices introduced to the market, the Difficult Airway Society (UK) developed an approach (termed ADEPT; Airway Device Evaluation Project Team) to standardise the model for device evaluation. Under this framework we assessed the LMA Protector, a second generation laryngeal mask airway. A total of 111 sequential adult patients were recruited and the LMA Protector inserted after induction of general anaesthesia. Effective insertion was confirmed by resistance to further distal movement, manual ventilation, and listening for gas leakage at the mouth. The breathing circuit was connected to the airway channel and airway patency confirmed with manual test ventilation at 20 cm H20 (water) pressure for 3 s. Data was collected in relation to the time for placement, intraoperative performance and postoperative performance of the airway device. Additionally, investigators rated the ease of insertion and adequacy of lung ventilation on a 5-point scale. The median (interquartile range [range]) time taken to insertion of the device was 31 (26-40[14-780]) s with the ability to ventilate after device insertion 100 (95% CI 96.7- 100)%. Secondary endpoints included one or more manoeuvres 60.3 (95% CI 50.6-69.5)% cases requiring to assist insertion; a median ease of insertion score of 4 (2-5[3-5]), and a median adequacy of ventilation score of 5 (5-5[4-5]). However, the first time insertion rate failure was 9.9% (95% CI 5.1-17.0%). There were no episodes of patient harm recorded, particularly desaturation. The LMA Protector appears suitable for clinical use, but an accompanying article discusses our reflections on the ADEPT approach to studying airway devices from a strategic perspective.

New guidelines for research in airway device evaluation: time for an updated approach (ADEPT-2) to the Difficult Airway Society's 'ADEPT' strategy?

In this article we present the learning from a clinical study of airway device evaluation, conducted under the framework of the Difficult Airway Society (DAS, UK) 'ADEPT' (airway device evaluation project team) strategy. We recommend a change in emphasis from small scale randomised controlled trials conducted as research, to larger-scale observational, post-marketing evaluation audits as a way of obtaining more meaningful information.

Preventing unrecognised oesophageal intubation: a consensus guideline from the Project for Universal Management of Airways and international airway societies.

Across multiple disciplines undertaking airway management globally, preventable episodes of unrecognised oesophageal intubation result in profound hypoxaemia, brain injury and death. These events occur in the hands of both inexperienced and experienced practitioners. Current evidence shows that unrecognised oesophageal intubation occurs sufficiently frequently to be a major concern and to merit a co-ordinated approach to address it. Harm from unrecognised oesophageal intubation is avoidable through reducing the rate of oesophageal intubation, combined with prompt detection and immediate action when it occurs. The detection of 'sustained exhaled carbon dioxide' using waveform capnography is the mainstay for excluding oesophageal placement of an intended tracheal tube. Tube removal should be the default response when sustained exhaled carbon dioxide cannot be detected. If default tube removal is considered dangerous, urgent exclusion of oesophageal intubation using valid alternative techniques is indicated, in parallel with evaluation of other causes of inability to detect carbon dioxide. The tube should be removed if timely restoration of sustained exhaled carbon dioxide cannot be achieved. In addition to technical interventions, strategies are required to address cognitive biases and the deterioration of individual and team performance in stressful situations, to which all practitioners are vulnerable. These guidelines provide recommendations for preventing unrecognised oesophageal intubation that are relevant to all airway practitioners independent of geography, clinical location, discipline or patient type.

Project for Universal Management of Airways - part 1: concept and methods.

Multiple professional groups and societies worldwide have produced airway management guidelines. These are typically targeted at the process of tracheal intubation by a particular provider group in a restricted category of patients and reflect practice preferences in a particular geographical region. The existence of multiple distinct guidelines for some (but not other) closely related circumstances, increases complexity and may obscure the underlying principles that are common to all of them. This has the potential to increase cognitive load; promote the grouping of ideas in silos; impair teamwork; and ultimately compromise patient care. Development of a single set of airway management guidelines that can be applied across and beyond these domains may improve implementation; promote standardisation; and facilitate collaboration between airway practitioners from diverse backgrounds. A global multidisciplinary group of both airway operators and assistants was assembled. Over a 3-year period, a review of the existing airway guidelines and multiple reviews of the primary literature were combined with a structured process for determining expert consensus. Any discrepancies between these were analysed and reconciled. Where evidence in the literature was lacking, recommendations were made by expert consensus. Using the above process, a set of evidence-based airway management guidelines was developed in consultation with airway practitioners from a broad spectrum of disciplines and geographical locations. While consistent with the recommendations of the existing English language guidelines, these universal guidelines also incorporate the most recent concepts in airway management as well as statements on areas not widely addressed by the existing guidelines. The recommendations will be published in four parts that respectively address: airway evaluation; airway strategy; airway rescue and communication of airway outcomes. Together, these universal guidelines will provide a single, comprehensive approach to airway management that can be consistently applied by airway practitioners globally, independent of their clinical background or the circumstances in which airway management occurs.

Difficult Airway Society guidelines for awake tracheal intubation (ATI) in adults.

Awake tracheal intubation has a high success rate and a favourable safety profile but is underused in cases of anticipated difficult airway management. These guidelines are a comprehensive document to support decision making, preparation and practical performance of awake tracheal intubation. We performed a systematic review of the literature seeking all of the available evidence for each element of awake tracheal intubation in order to make recommendations. In the absence of high-quality evidence, expert consensus and a Delphi study were used to formulate recommendations. We highlight key areas of awake tracheal intubation in which specific recommendations were made, which included: indications; procedural setup; checklists; oxygenation; airway topicalisation; sedation; verification of tracheal tube position; complications; management of unsuccessful awake tracheal intubation; post-tracheal intubation management; consent; and training. We recognise that there are a range of techniques and regimens that may be effective and one such example technique is included. Breaking down the key practical elements of awake tracheal intubation into sedation, topicalisation, oxygenation and performance might help practitioners to plan, perform and address complications. These guidelines aim to support clinical practice and help lower the threshold for performing awake tracheal intubation when indicated.

Global Capnography Project (GCAP): implementation of capnography in Malawi - an international anaesthesia quality improvement project.

The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery emphasised the importance of access to safe anaesthesia care. Capnography is an essential monitor for safe anaesthesia, but is rarely available in low-income countries. The aim of this study was twofold: to measure the prevalence of capnography in the operating theatres and in intensive care units; and to determine whether its introduction was feasible and could improve the early recognition of critical airway incidents in a low-income country. This is the first project to do this. Forty capnographs were donated to eight hospitals in Malawi. Thirty-two anaesthesia providers received a 1-day capnography training course with pre- and post-course knowledge testing. Providers kept logbooks of capnography use and recorded their responses to abnormal readings. On follow-up at 6 months, providers completed questionnaires on any significant patient safety incidents identified using capnography. In January 2017, at the commencement of the project, only one operating theatre had a capnograph. Overall, 97% and 100% 'capnography gaps' were identified in the theatres and intensive care units, respectively. The mean (SD) scores of our capnography multiple choice questionnaires improved after training from 15.00 (3.16) to 18.70 (0.99), p = < 0.001. The capnography equipment was appropriately robust and performed well. Six months following implementation, 24 (77%) anaesthesia providers reported recognising 44 oesophageal intubations and 28 (90%) believed that capnography had saved lives. This study has shown it is feasible to introduce capnography in a low-income country, resulting in early recognition of critical airway incidents and ultimately helping to save lives. Building on the experience of the first trial of pulse oximetry implementation in low-income countries in 2007, we believe this is one of the most important projects in anaesthesia safety in the last decade.

The Airway App: exploring the role of smartphone technology to capture emergency front-of-neck airway experiences internationally.

In this exploratory study we describe the utility of smartphone technology for anonymous retrospective observational data collection of emergency front-of-neck airway management. The medical community continues to debate the optimal technique for emergency front-of-neck airway management. Although individual clinicians infrequently perform this procedure, hundreds are performed annually worldwide. Ubiquitous smartphone technology and internet connectivity have created the opportunity to collect these data. We created the 'Airway App', a smartphone application to capture the experiences of healthcare providers involved in emergency front-of-neck airway procedures. In the first 18-month period, 104 emergency front-of-neck airway management reports were received; 99 (95%) were internally valid and unique from 21 countries. Eighty-one (82%) were performed by non-surgeons and 63 (64%) were 'cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate' emergencies. Overall first-attempt success varied by technique; 45 scalpel-bougie cricothyroidotomy (37 first-attempt success), 25 surgical cricothyroidotomy (15 first-attempt success), eight cannula cricothyroidotomy (five first-attempt success), six wire-guided cricothyroidotomy (three first-attempt success) and 15 tracheostomy reports (11 first-attempt success). The most commonly reported positive human factors were good communication, good teamwork and/or skilled personnel. The most commonly reported negative human factors were fixation on multiple tracheal intubation attempts, delay in initiating emergency front-of-neck airway and/or the failure to plan for failure. Due to the anonymous nature of reporting, reports are open to recollection bias and spurious reporting. We conclude collection of data using a smartphone application is feasible and has the potential to expand our knowledge of emergency front-of-neck airway management.