Share the Airway: An Interdisciplinary Course for Management of the Unexpected Difficult Airway

Abstract

IntroductionWithin the scope of practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery, the unexpected difficult airway may occur in the trauma bay, operating theater, postoperative, or office-based setting. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons must be trained to diagnose and intervene in anatomically or anesthetically compromised airways. An interdisciplinary training course hosted by an anesthesiology airway expert and oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a novel resident training opportunity. Materials and methodsIn August 2019 and October 2020, the department of anesthesiology and the division of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, co-hosted interdisciplinary educational sessions focused on management of the unexpected difficult airway, taught to residents and faculty. A SurveyMonkey (San Mateo, CA) questionnaire was taken 2 weeks before and after the course, with 10 questions assessing fund of knowledge in airway anatomy and physiology, etiology of difficult airway scenarios, difficult airway algorithm, and performance of emergency surgical airways. An interactive lecture on likely scenarios, airway algorithms, relevant surgical anatomy, routine and emergency airway management, airway devices, and emergency surgical airway techniques was conducted. A hands-on cricothyroidotomy tutorial using Crico-Trainer “Pig” (VBM, Sulz, DE) anatomic models with fresh porcine tracheas to simulate human airway anatomy were used. A post-course test consisted of a timed, filmed performance followed by a debriefing session. ResultsIncreased fund of knowledge and comfort with airway anatomy, difficult airway diagnosis and management, and emergency surgical airway techniques was evident between pre-and post-course surveys and was clearly demonstrated across multiple years. The sample size (n = 10, 2019; n = 7, 2020) was insufficient for statistical analysis. ConclusionInterdisciplinary didactic and clinical training in emergency airway management are of paramount importance to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Between years, a drop-off in knowledge base and technical skills occurred, even among senior staff, and all attendees agreed that periodic repetition is worthwhile. This course is now offered as part of the core curriculum on an annual basis and may be expanded to additional specialties for whom airway management is important.