Neonatal Intubation: Past, Present, and Future.

Abstract

* Abbreviations: NEAR4NEOS: : National Emergency Airway Registry for Neonates 3D-CT: : 3-dimensional computed tomography Neonatal intubation is a lifesaving skill that has been performed by clinicians for over 200 years. Throughout history, the techniques used for neonatal intubation have improved and will continue to advance in the future. Although the incidence of neonatal intubation has decreased over time, the focus on neonatal intubation safety has increased. Current and future efforts to improve neonatal intubation success and safety are critical to improving neonatal outcomes. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Summarize the history of neonatal intubation. 2. Recognize trends in the incidence of neonatal intubation. 3. Describe current and future efforts to improve neonatal intubation safety. Neonatal intubation is a lifesaving procedure. Neonatal intubation has been an essential skill in the practice of neonatology since the subspecialty was founded in the 1970s; however, the origins of neonatal intubation date back over 200 years. (1)(2)(3) Multiple advances have taken place in the practice of neonatal intubation since it was first described. Continued advances will undoubtedly take place in the future. Although the incidence of neonatal intubation has decreased over time, intubation remains a critical skill for neonatal clinicians. Current and future efforts focused on improving neonatal intubation safety are critical to improving neonatal outcomes. In this review, we examine the past, present, and future of neonatal intubation. ### The First Intubation Techniques The earliest accounts of neonatal resuscitation date back to the mid-1700s when Benjamin Pugh used a small tube made of coiled wire and covered in leather to ventilate the lungs of asphyxiated newborns. (2)(4) The Copenhagen obstetrician Paul Scheel published the first detailed description of neonatal tracheal intubation in 1798:“Having cleaned the throat, we come to the trachea itself. I believe it is best evacuated with a syringe attached to a long flexible tube, the diameter of which fits in the …