Airway Management

Abstract

Marek A. Mirski, MD, PhD, EditorView Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Paul W. Flint, MD, FACS, EditorView Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)In our experience, airway management approached as a team effort provides the safest environment for our patients. This has been demonstrated through the development of the Difficult Airway Response Team or DART Program presented in this issue. Adapting this approach insures that equipment, personnel, and information are aligned and available for managing the known and unknown difficult airway. Airway Management presents a multidisciplinary approach to clinical issues that have been reviewed and updated to reflect the current state of clinical practices. This issue is organized into 4 broad areas: (1) practice guidelines, assessment, and preparation; (2) specialty considerations; (3) emergency airway response teams, expertise, and competency; and (4) communications about airway management and national and international airway registries.We hope that practitioners will read these articles—written by a group of multidisciplinary international experts—and adapt clinical pearls and wisdom into everyday airway management practice. In our experience, airway management approached as a team effort provides the safest environment for our patients. This has been demonstrated through the development of the Difficult Airway Response Team or DART Program presented in this issue. Adapting this approach insures that equipment, personnel, and information are aligned and available for managing the known and unknown difficult airway. Airway Management presents a multidisciplinary approach to clinical issues that have been reviewed and updated to reflect the current state of clinical practices. This issue is organized into 4 broad areas: (1) practice guidelines, assessment, and preparation; (2) specialty considerations; (3) emergency airway response teams, expertise, and competency; and (4) communications about airway management and national and international airway registries. We hope that practitioners will read these articles—written by a group of multidisciplinary international experts—and adapt clinical pearls and wisdom into everyday airway management practice.