Project description:BackgroundRapid sequence induction and intubation (RSII) is a technique commonly used to resist regurgitation of gastric contents and protect the airway. A modification of this technique is implemented in certain clinical circumstances. However, there is currently no standard definition for a modified RSII. Therefore, we surveyed clinicians at academic centers across the United States to establish a working definition of a modified RSII as well as the clinical scenarios in which it is being used.MethodsA survey was created that queried the use and definition of modified RSII, and validated with test respondents. We then mailed the survey to all 131 anesthesia residency training programs across the United States. Logistic regression models were created to estimate the percentage of affirmative responses among respondents that performed modified RSII procedures and answered survey items in a consistent manner. Similar quantities were calculated by physician status (resident and attending).ResultsFour hundred ninety surveys were received from 58 institutions (44% institution response rate); 93% of respondents reported using a modified RSII, and of those 85% consistently completed the survey instrument. A majority of respondents (71%, CI: 63%-77%) reported administering oxygen before anesthesia induction, applying cricoid pressure, and attempting to ventilate the lungs via a facemask before securing the airway. Respondents noted that they would use a modified RSII procedure if the patient were either moderately or morbidly obese (each ∼59%, 53%-64%), had a history but no current symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (52%, 46%-57%), had a hiatal hernia (42%, 36%-48%) or were a trauma patient who had been NPO for at least 8 h (39%, 33%-45%). Similar RSII results were obtained when repeating the analysis on the subset that did not enforce the consistency requirements.ConclusionsBased on our survey we have established three defining features of a modified RSII: (1) oxygen administration before induction; (2) the use of cricoid pressure; and (3) an attempt to ventilate the patient's lungs before securing the airway. Although this definition seems intuitively obvious, no previous work has tested whether it is commonly accepted.
Project description:BackgroundRapid sequence intubation (RSI) is an advanced airway skill commonly performed in the pre-hospital setting globally. In South Africa, pre-hospital RSI was first approved for non-physician providers by the Health Professions Council of South Africa in 2009 and introduced as part of the scope of practice of degree qualified Emergency Care Practitioners (ECPs) only. The research study aimed to investigate and describe, based on the components of the minimum standards of pre-hospital RSI in South Africa, specific areas of interest related to current pre-hospital RSI practice.MethodsAn online descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst operational ECPs in the pre-hospital setting of South Africa, using convenience and snowball sampling strategies.ResultsA total of 87 participants agreed to partake. Eleven (12.6%) incomplete survey responses were excluded while 76 (87.4%) were included in the data analysis. The survey response rate could not be calculated. Most participants were operational in Gauteng (n = 27, 35.5%) and the Western Cape (n = 25, 32.9%). Overall participants reported that their education and training were perceived as being of good quality. The majority of participants (n = 69, 90.8%) did not participate in an internship programme before commencing duties as an independent practitioner. Most RSI and post-intubation equipment were reported to be available; however, our results found that introducer stylets and/or bougies and end-tidal carbon dioxide devices are not available to some participants. Only 50 (65.8%) participants reported the existence of a clinical governance system within their organisation. Furthermore, our results indicate a lack of clinical feedback, deficiency of an RSI database, infrequent clinical review meetings and a shortage of formal consultation frameworks.ConclusionThe practice of safe and effective pre-hospital RSI, performed by non-physician providers or ECPs, relies on comprehensive implementation and adherence to all the components of the minimum standards. Although there is largely an apparent alignment with the minimum standards, recurrent revision of practice needs to occur to ensure alignment with recommendations. Additionally, some areas may benefit from further research to improve current practice.
Project description:IntroductionAirway 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.MethodsAn 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.ResultsEM 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%).ConclusionThe 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.
Project description:IntroductionAirway and breathing management play critical role in trauma resuscitation. Early identification of esophageal intubation and detection of fatal events is critical. Authors studied the utility of integration of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) during different phases of rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in trauma resuscitation.MethodsIt was prospective, randomized single-centered study conducted at the Emergency Department of a level one trauma center. Patients were divided into ultrasonography (USG) and clinical examination (CE) arm. The objectives were to study the utility of POCUS in endotracheal tube placement and confirmations and identification of potentially fatal conditions as tracheal injury, midline vessels, paratracheal hematoma, vocal cord pathology, pneumothorax, and others during RSI. Patient >1 year of age were included. Time taken for procedure, number of incorrect intubations, and pathologies detected were noted. The data were collected in Microsoft Excel spread sheets and analyzed using Stata (version 11.2, Stata Corp, Texas, U. S. A) software.ResultsOne hundred and six patients were recruited. The mean time for primary survey USG versus CE arm was (20 ± 10.01 vs. 18 ± 11.03) seconds. USG detected four pneumothorax, one tracheal injury, and one paratracheal hematoma. The mean procedure time USG versus CE arm was (37.3 ± 21.92 vs. 58 ± 32.04) seconds. Eight esophageal intubations were identified in USG arm by POCUS and two in CE arm by EtCO2 values.ConclusionIntegration of POCUS was useful in all three phases of RSI. It identified paratracheal hematoma, tracheal injury, and pneumothorax. It also identified esophageal intubation and confirmed main stem tracheal intubation in less time compared to five-point auscultation and capnography.
Project description:Study objectiveInduction doses of etomidate during rapid sequence intubation cause transient adrenal dysfunction, but its clinical significance on trauma patients is uncertain. Ketamine has emerged as an alternative for rapid sequence intubation induction. Among adult trauma patients intubated in the emergency department, we compare clinical outcomes among those induced with etomidate and ketamine.MethodsThe study entailed a retrospective evaluation of a 4-year (January 2011 to December 2014) period spanning an institutional protocol switch from etomidate to ketamine as the standard induction agent for adult trauma patients undergoing rapid sequence intubation in the emergency department of an academic Level I trauma center. The primary outcome was hospital mortality evaluated with multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for age, vital signs, and injury severity and mechanism. Secondary outcomes included ICU-free days and ventilator-free days evaluated with multivariable ordered logistic regression using the same covariates.ResultsThe analysis included 968 patients, including 526 with etomidate and 442 with ketamine. Hospital mortality was 20.4% among patients induced with ketamine compared with 17.3% among those induced with etomidate (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92 to 2.16). Patients induced with ketamine had ICU-free days (adjusted OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.63 to 1.00) and ventilator-free days (adjusted OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.76 to 1.20) similar to those of patients induced with etomidate.ConclusionIn this analysis spanning an institutional protocol switch from etomidate to ketamine as the standard rapid sequence intubation induction agent for adult trauma patients, patient-centered outcomes were similar for patients who received etomidate and ketamine.
Project description:IntroductionThose who are staying at home and reducing contact with other people during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to be at greater risk of medication-related problems than the general population. This study aims to explore household medication practices by and for this population, identify practices that benefit or jeopardise medication safety and develop best practice guidance about household medication safety practices during a pandemic, grounded in individual experiences.Methods and analysisThis is a descriptive qualitative study using semistructured interviews, by telephone or video call. People who have been advised to 'cocoon'/'shield' and/or are aged 70 years or over and using at least one long-term medication, or their caregivers, will be eligible for inclusion. We will recruit 100 patient/carer participants: 50 from the UK and 50 from Ireland. Recruitment will be supported by our patient and public involvement (PPI) partners, personal networks and social media. Individual participant consent will be sought, and interviews audio/video recorded and/or detailed notes made. A constructivist interpretivist approach to data analysis will involve use of the constant comparative method to organise the data, along with inductive analysis. From this, we will iteratively develop best practice guidance about household medication safety practices during a pandemic from the patient's/carer's perspective.Ethics and disseminationThis study has Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and University College London ethics approvals. We plan to disseminate our findings via presentations at relevant patient/public, professional, academic and scientific meetings, and for publication in peer-reviewed journals. We will create a list of helpful strategies that participants have reported and share this with participants, PPI partners and on social media.
Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate real-world psoriatic arthritis (PsA) medication use and patient medication preferences.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional survey of Classification for Psoriatic Arthritis criteria defined PsA patients recruited from a single-center PsA registry from June to September 2020. Preferences were ranked on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "not at all important" to "extremely important."ResultsOne hundred thirty-seven patients (29%) responded. The median duration (years) of PsA skin and joint symptoms was 19 (interquartile range, 10-34) and 12 (interquartile range, 8-21), respectively. The most common initial immunomodulatory medications were anti-tumor necrosis factor α (35%), methotrexate (19%), and anti-phosphodiesterase 4 (anti-PDE4) (12.4%). At survey administration, the most common immunomodulatory therapies were anti-tumor necrosis factor α (30%), anti-interleukin 17 (IL-17) (20.4%), and methotrexate (10.2%). After 2018, when updated guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology/National Psoriasis Foundation were published, a significantly higher percentage of patients' first medication was an anti-IL-17 compared with 2018 or earlier (30% vs 3.5%, p < 0.001), a pattern also seen with anti-PDE4 (40% vs 11.5%, p < 0.012). Medication preferences most ranked as "extremely" important were prevention of joint damage (80%), ability to perform daily activities (71%), prevention of pain (70.1%), rheumatologist recommendation (63%), and medication adverse effects (62%).ConclusionsThe significant increase of anti-IL-17 and anti-PDE4 medications as initial treatment after 2018 may reflect their inclusion as potential initial therapy in updated guidelines, along with the importance placed by patients on medication adverse effects. Given the expanding armamentarium of PsA medications, it is increasingly important to align patient preferences and therapeutic options to ensure durable use of effective therapy.
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the health care industry to develop dynamic protocols to maximize provider safety as aerosolizing procedures, specifically intubation, increase the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2. The authors sought to create a quality improvement framework to ensure safe practices for intubating providers, and describe a multidisciplinary model developed at an academic tertiary care facility centered on rapid-cycle improvements and real-time gap analysis to track adherence to COVID-19 intubation safety protocols. The model included an Intubation Safety Checklist, a standardized documentation template for intubations, obtaining real-time feedback, and weekly multidisciplinary team meetings to review data and implement improvements. This study captured 68 intubations in suspected COVID-19 patients and demonstrated high personal protective equipment compliance at the institution, but also identified areas for process improvement. Overall, the authors posit that an interdisciplinary workgroup and the integration of standardized processes can be used to enhance intubation safety among providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Project description:BackgroundIntubation in the early postinjury phase can be a high-risk procedure associated with an increased risk of mortality when delayed. Nonroutine events (NREs) are workflow disruptions that can be latent safety threats in high-risk settings and may contribute to adverse outcomes.Materials and methodsWe reviewed videos of intubations of injured children (age<17 y old) in the emergency department occurring between 2014 and 2018 to identify NREs occurring between the decision to intubate and successful intubation ("critical window").ResultsAmong 34 children requiring intubation, the indications included GCS≤8 (n = 20, 58.8%), cardiac arrest (n = 6, 17.6%), airway protection (n = 5, 14.7%), and respiratory failure (n = 3, 8.8%). The median duration of the "critical window" was 7.5 min (range 1.4-27.5 min), with a median of six NREs per case in this period (range 2-30). Most NREs (n = 159, 61.9%) delayed workflow, with 31 (12.1%) of these delays each lasting more than one minute. Eighty-seven NREs (33.9%) had a potential for harm but did not lead to direct patient harm. The most common NREs directly related to the intubation process were poor positioning for intubation (n = 23, 8.9%) and difficulty passing the endotracheal tube (n = 5, 1.9%), with most being attributed to the anesthesiologist performing the intubation (n = 51, range 0-7).ConclusionsWorkflow disruptions related to nonroutine events were frequent during pediatric trauma intubation and were often associated with delays and potential for patient harm. Interventions for improving the efficiency and timeliness of the critical window should focus on adherence to intubation protocol and improving communication and teamwork related to tasks in this phase.