Preparation for airway management in Australia and New Zealand ICUs during the COVID -19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This paper aimed to describe the airway practices of intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia and New Zealand specific to patients presenting with COVID-19 and to inform whether consistent clinical practice was achieved. Specific clinical airway guidelines were endorsed in March 2020 by the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) and College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM).

Methods and findings

Prospective, structured questionnaire for all ICU directors in Australia and New Zealand was completed by 69 ICU directors after email invitation from ANZICS. The online questionnaire was accessible for three weeks during September 2020 and analysed by cloud-based software. Basic ICU demographics (private or public, metropolitan or rural) and location,

SUBMITTER: Brewster DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8104394 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature