Airway management practices in adult intensive care units in Israel: a national survey.
Summary of "Airway management practices in adult intensive care units in Israel: a national survey."
Timely and adequate management of normal and compromised airway is a crucial task facing medical teams taking care of patients in intensive care units. We investigated the airway management practices in the Israeli intensive care units (ICUs). A postal survey was sent to the 20 main ICUs in Israel. We investigated which medical specialty (ICU, anesthesiology or ENT) is involved with airway management in the ICUs and summarized the availability of airway equipment and medication necessary for endotracheal intubation, the use of dedicated airway management algorithms, the approaches to specific airway scenarios and education in airway management. The response rate was 70 % (14 out of the 20 units). Intubation with normal airway is performed mainly by ICU doctors (86 %). A difficult airway is most frequently cared for by anesthesiologists (79 %), while impossible intubation/mask ventilation is mainly managed by anesthesiologists and ENT surgeons (50-79 %). Airways in C-spine injury are mainly managed by anesthesiologists (70 %). Surgical airway is mainly performed by ENT surgeons (79 %). The ASA difficult airway algorithm is used in 71 % of the units. Fiberoptic intubation is used significantly more often than other methods in two scenarios: 78 % of the difficult airways and 64 % of the C-spine injuries (p < 0.0001). Only 43 % of the units reported holding quality assurance meetings. 69 % of the units' heads are satisfied with their airway management policies. Equipment and medications necessary for airway management are available in most of the units. Difficult airways in ICUs are mainly managed by anesthesiologists and ENT surgeons. Few ICUs have quality assurance meetings.
Affiliation
Department of General Intensive Care, Wolfson Medical Center, Affiliated to Tel Aviv University, Holon, Israel.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Journal of clinical monitoring and computing
ISSN: 1573-2614
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22614337
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10877-012-9368-7
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Intensive Care Units, Pediatric
Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to acutely ill infants and children. Neonates are excluded since INTENSIVE CARE UNITS, NEONATAL is available.
Intensive Care Units
Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to acutely ill patients.
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
Hospital units providing continuing surveillance and care to acutely ill newborn infants.
Intensive Care
Advanced and highly specialized care provided to medical or surgical patients whose conditions are life-threatening and require comprehensive care and constant monitoring. It is usually administered in specially equipped units of a health care facility.
Coronary Care Units
The hospital unit in which patients with acute cardiac disorders receive intensive care.
PubMed Articles
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is one of the most common problems in the care of premature infants, especially the extremely premature. There is no real consensus regarding the diagnostic criteria or...
We have surveyed the availability of equipment, content of difficult-airway carts (DAC), and training in the use of such equipment in intensive-care units (ICU). We devised a set of proposals regardin...
Multidisciplinary guidelines for the management of tracheostomy and laryngectomy airway emergencies.
Adult tracheostomy and laryngectomy airway emergencies are uncommon, but do lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The National Tracheostomy Safety Project incorporates key stakeholder groups wi...
The role of surgery in intensive care medicine.
The dominant role for the emergence and establishment of intensive care medicine can be attributed to surgery. The first critical care units were developed in surgical university hospitals. Numerous s...
Clinical Trials
Pharmacokinetic of Ceftriaxone in Septic ICU Patients
Ceftriaxone pharmacokinetics variability in intensive care unit septic patients In intensive care units, drug dosage is often based on study made on healthy volunteers or on less severe p...
Effect of Music on Patients in Intensive Care Units
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of patient-preferred music, relaxation music, and standard care environment on patients in intensive care units.
Family Support Intervention in Intensive Care Units (The Four Supports Study)
The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a multi-faceted communication intervention for family members of critically ill patients to reduce the family members' long-term s...
To asses the effectiveness of implementing a diabetes management protocol (early insulinization, avoiding use of SSI) in a hearth hospital's non-intensive care unit.
Benchmarking Initiative to Reduce Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Premature infants may develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a type of chronic lung disease. The type of care that a premature infant receives in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)...
