Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 2020
Multicenter Study Observational StudyChecklists in prehospital advanced airway management.
In pre-hospital care, pre-intubation checklists (PICL) are widely implemented as a safety measure and guidelines support their use. However, the true value of PICL among experienced airway providers is unknown. This study aims to explore possible benefits and disadvantages of PICL in the pre-hospital setting. ⋯ In this retrospective study, checklist use correlated with fewer attempts at intubation when securing the airway. Despite this, we found no association between checklist use and the overall TI success rate or the incidence of serious adverse events. Scene times were shorter without PICL.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 2020
Multicenter Study Observational StudyDepth to the airway lumen at the level of the cricothyroid membrane measured by ultrasound.
Knowing the likely depth to the airway before emergency cricothyroidotomy may improve success in cases where it cannot be measured. Our aim was to measure the depth to the airway at the cricothyroid membrane by ultrasound in a large group of adult patients. ⋯ If ultrasound measurement is not possible before emergency cricothyroidotomy, the clinician could use our results to predict the depth to the airway by using the patient's weight. If the upper 95% CI were used as the depth of incision, it would enter the airway in 39 out of 40 patients of that weight, without damage to posterior structures in those with a shallower airway.