Prehospital Airway Research Articles

Use of Supraglottic Airway Devices by Paramedics in the Management of Adult Prehospital Cardiac Arrest Patients

Introduction Current best practice for paramedic airway management of prehospital cardiac arrest is being continually reviewed following changes to the emphasis on intubation as a primary intervention within international resuscitation guidelines. Subsequently, there is increased enthusiasm for the use of next generation supraglottic airway devices. This review aimed to identify the current evidence for the safety and effectiveness of supraglottic airways for the management of prehospital cardiac arrest. Methods A search of the electronic databases Medline, PubMed, Science Direct and Cochrane Library was conducted. Papers were excluded if they did not examine airway management in the prehospital cardiac arrest setting, involved the use of sedative or paralysing agents, involved paediatric patients, animals or cadavers. Results Of the 689 articles identified, 22 peer-reviewed articles were included for analysis. All 22 articles were from the following countries: United States of America, United States of America and Canada, Australia, Austria, Finland, Germany, Korea, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Discussion This review revealed large variances in both device effectiveness and patient outcome, particularly between geographical locations. Second-generation supraglottic airway devices demonstrated considerable improvement in effectiveness over their predecessors. Interestingly, the use of bag-valve mask ventilation reported better outcomes than any other form of advanced airway intervention. Studies also highlighted the diversity of airway management techniques and devices across global EMS systems. Conclusion Despite favourable indications of the effectiveness and safety of the next generation supraglottic airway devices, the paucity of pre-hospital specific research (particularly randomised controlled trials) challenges decision-making regarding pre-hospital airway management best practice.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a Danish health region.

Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ECPR) has emerged as a feasible rescue therapy for refractory, normothermic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Reported survival rates vary and comparison between studies is hampered by heterogeneous study populations, differences in bystander intervention and in pre-hospital emergency service organisation. We aimed to describe the first experiences, treatment details, complications and outcome with ECPR for OHCA in a Danish health region. Retrospective study of adult patients admitted at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark between 1 January 2011 and 1 July 2015 with witnessed, refractory, normothermic OHCA treated with ECPR. OHCA was managed with pre-hospital advanced airway management and mechanical chest compression during transport. Relevant pre-hospital and in-hospital data were collected with special focus on low-flow time and ECPR duration. Survival to hospital discharge with Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) of 1 and 2 at hospital discharge was the primary endpoint. Twenty-one patients were included. Median pre-hospital low-flow time was 54 min [range 5-100] and median total low-flow time was 121 min [range 55-192]. Seven patients survived (33%). Survivors had a CPC score of 1 or 2 at hospital discharge. Five survivors had a shockable initial rhythm. In all survivors coronary occlusion was the presumed cause of cardiac arrest. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation is feasible as a rescue therapy in normothermic refractory OHCA in highly selected patients. Low-flow time was longer than previously reported. Survival with favourable neurological outcome is possible despite prolonged low-flow duration.

Assessment of Paramedic Performance on Difficult Airway Simulation

Objective: Airway management is a common, important intervention for critically ill patients in the United States. A key element of prehospital airway management is endotracheal intubation (ETI). Prehospital ETI success rates have been shown to be as low as 77% compared to in-hospital rates of 95%. Given these rates, the use of backup airway devices is a necessary precaution for patient safety. The extent to which paramedics integrate backup airway use into their airway algorithm is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess paramedic comprehensive airway management practices during a difficult airway simulation through which paramedics were obligated to consider alternatives to ETI. Methods: This was an observational study of airway management skills in active paramedics (N = 198). A difficult airway simulation was conducted in a mobile simulation laboratory; a Type 3 ambulance with four video cameras including an endotracheal view to capture airway management. Recordings of paramedic performance were assessed using a 110-item checklist covering four key areas: 1) placement of an endotracheal tube; 2) application of backup airway following failed ETI; 3) ventilation of the patient; and 4) achievement of airway safety and quality measures. Results: Paramedics were highly trained with 12 years (IQR: 4–20) of advanced life support experience and a median of 40 prehospital intubations over their careers (IQR: 15–100). In this difficult airway setting, first pass ETI success rate was 55.6%. However, paramedics were challenged with airway management following a failed ETI. Only 9% of providers were prepared with a clear backup plan. Sixty-three percent of the paramedics successfully placed a backup airway within 3 attempts. During the simulation, only 14% properly ventilated at a rate of 10–12 breaths/min. Ventilations were maintained without interruptions (>30 sec) in 22% of simulations. Conclusion: In a difficult airway management scenario designed for low ETI success rates, even experienced paramedics were challenged with comprehensive airway management. This was exemplified by difficulties with the use of backup airway devices. Future work needs to be directed at identifying the key determinants for airway management success and the development of interventions to improve success with the use of a comprehensive airway management plan.

Abstract 12806: Advanced Airway Management May Not be Effective Compared to Basic Airway Management After Pediatric Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Respiratory care for pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) may play an important role due to the asphyxial nature of the majority of pediatric OHCA events. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that prehospital advanced airway management (endotracheal intubation or supraglottic airway device) is associated with an increased chance of favorable outcomes compared with basic airway management (bag-valve-mask ventilation) after pediatric OHCA. Methods: This was a nationwide, population-based, propensity score-matched study of pediatric OHCA in Japan from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2012, based on data from the All-Japan Utstein Registry. We included pediatric patients aged < 18 years. Infants (≤ 1 year old) were excluded. The primary outcome was a favorable neurological state one month after OHCA defined as a Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance category (CPC) score of 1-2 (corresponding to a Pediatric CPC score of 1-3). The secondary outcomes included a neurologically favorable survival with a CPC score of 1 (corresponding to a Pediatric CPC score of 1), one-month survival, and prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Results: A total of 2,157 patients were included in the final cohort; 365 received advanced airway management and 1,792 received basic airway management. Among 2,157 patients, 213 (9.9%) survived with a favorable neurological status one month after OHCA. There were no significant differences in neurologically favorable survival between the advanced airway management group and the basic airway management group after adjusting for potential confounders: propensity score matching, OR 0.74 (95%CI 0.35-1.59), and multivariable logistic regression modeling, OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.24-1.14). Similar findings were observed for the secondary outcomes. In subgroup analyses (including the non-cardiac [mainly asphyxial] etiology group), there were no subgroups in which advanced airway management was associated with neurologically favorable survival. Conclusions: In conclusion, advanced airway management was not associated with an increased chance of neurologically favorable survival, one-month survival, or prehospital ROSC compared to basic airway management after pediatric OHCA.

Data capture and communication during transfers to definitive care in an inclusive trauma system

IntroductionBackground trauma survivors in rural areas transferred to urban centers have higher mortality than trauma patients admitted directly to urban centers. Transfer data in trauma registries is important for injury control. Prehospital and early physiologic data may reflect processes of pre-hospital care. British Columbia currently has no standardized process for trauma patient data transfer. Patients and methodsWe performed a retrospective data analysis for major trauma patients (ISS>15) transferred to a Level I trauma center over a 1year period (n=243). Completion rates of paramedic form and ATLS primary survey variables were extracted. Nominal and interval descriptives were calculated. Documentation rates were considered deficient at <80% and severely deficient <60%. Odds ratios were calculated for primary facility data based on ISS ≥30 vs ISS <30, with 2-sided p-values for confidence intervals ResultsTwo hundred forty-three patients met inclusion criteria with a mean ISS of 26. Most injured patients were male (79%), the predominant mechanism was blunt (93%) and the average age at injury was 51 years old. Two hundred eighteen patients arrived by Emergency Health Services, and 140 (64%) of EHS pre-hospital forms were transferred with the patient chart. Pre-hospital airway, physiologic data, and GCS completion rates were severely deficient (43–49%). Primary facility data was adequately completed for airway management, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate in (80–83%). Completion rates were deficient for respiratory rate, GCS and temperature (60–77%). An ISS score ≥30 was significantly associated with a lower completion rate for GCS. Discussion and conclusionOverall, documentation for inter-hospital transfer of major trauma patients in BC has significant deficiencies. Physiologic and basic ATLS variables are often omitted in transferred charts. The potential for adverse events is high but performance improvement is achievable. We recommend education, training and a standardized trauma transfer protocol to improve system-wide information transfer.

Overinflation of the Cuff and Pressure on the Neck Reduce the Preventive Effect of Supraglottic Airways on Pulmonary Aspiration

(Abstracted from Br J Anaesth, 116(2):289–294, 2016) During the use of supraglottic airways, it is not possible to protect completely against gastric insufflation, gastroesophageal reflux, or subsequent pulmonary aspiration. It is crucial to identify factors that impair the sealing capacities of supraglottic airways because the risk of aspiration is always present, especially in prehospital airway management and during general anesthesia.

Tracheal Malplacement of the King LT Airway May Be an Important Cause of Prehospital Device Failure

BackgroundThe King LT airway (King Systems, Noblesville, IN) is a popular extraglottic device that is widely used in the prehospital setting. We report a case of tracheal malplacement of the King airway with a severe kink in the distal tube. Case ReportA 51-year-old unhelmeted motorcyclist collided with a freeway median and was obtunded when paramedics arrived. After bag mask ventilation, a King airway was placed uneventfully and the patient was transported to the emergency department. Because of the concern for an unstable cervical spine injury, a lateral cervical spine radiograph was obtained on arrival. No cervical injury was seen, but the King airway was noted to be malplaced; the King airway passed through the laryngeal inlet and became lodged on the anterior trachea, creating an acute kink between the two balloons. After reviewing the radiograph, ventilations were reassessed and remained adequate. Both balloons were deflated, and the King airway was removed; the patient was orotracheally intubated without complication. Why Should An Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?The King airway is a valuable prehospital airway that can be placed quickly and blindly with high success rates by inexperienced providers; the King airway, however, is not without complication. Ventilation was not impaired in this patient, but tracheal malplacement may be an important cause of prehospital device failure. If a first placement attempt of a King airway device fails, it is reasonable to reattempt King airway placement with a new, unkinked device before abandoning King airway placement.

Creation and Validation of a Novel Mobile Simulation Laboratory for High Fidelity, Prehospital, Difficult Airway Simulation

Introduction Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a complex clinical skill complicated by the inherent challenge of providing care in the prehospital setting. Literature reports a low success rate of prehospital ETI attempts, partly due to the care environment and partly to the lack of consistent standardized training opportunities of prehospital providers in ETI. Hypothesis/Problem The availability of a mobile simulation laboratory (MSL) to study clinically critical interventions is needed in the prehospital setting to enhance instruction and maintain proficiency. This report is on the development and validation of a prehospital airway simulator and MSL that mimics in situ care provided in an ambulance. The MSL was a Type 3 ambulance with four cameras allowing audio-video recordings of observable behaviors. The prehospital airway simulator is a modified airway mannequin with increased static tongue pressure and a rigid cervical collar. Airway experts validated the model in a static setting through ETI at varying tongue pressures with a goal of a Grade 3 Cormack-Lehane (CL) laryngeal view. Following completion of this development, the MSL was launched with the prehospital airway simulator to distant communities utilizing a single facilitator/driver. Paramedics were recruited to perform ETI in the MSL, and the detailed airway management observations were stored for further analysis. Nineteen airway experts performed 57 ETI attempts at varying tongue pressures demonstrating increased CL views at higher tongue pressures. Tongue pressure of 60 mm Hg generated 31% Grade 3/4 CL view and was chosen for the prehospital trials. The MSL was launched and tested by 18 paramedics. First pass success was 33% with another 33% failing to intubate within three attempts. The MSL created was configured to deliver, record, and assess intubator behaviors with a difficult airway simulation. The MSL created a reproducible, high fidelity, mobile learning environment for assessment of simulated ETI performance by prehospital providers. Bischof JJ , Panchal AR , Finnegan GI , Terndrup TE . Creation and validation of a novel mobile simulation laboratory for high fidelity, prehospital, difficult airway simulation. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):465-470.

The role of prehospital advanced airway management on outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients: a meta-analysis

ObjectiveThe objective of this meta-analysis was to compare the benefits of prehospital advanced airway management (AAM) and basic airway management (BAM) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. MethodsTwo investigators performed a systematic review of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database to identify all peer-reviewed articles relevant to this meta-analysis. We included all articles describing emergency medical system–treated nontraumatic OHCAs; specifically, all articles that described intervention of the prehospital AAM type were considered. The primary outcome was survival to discharge, whereas the secondary outcome was neurologic recovery after an OHCA event. For subgroup analysis, we compared the clinical outcome of endotracheal intubation (ETI), a specific type of AAM, vs BAM. ResultsWe reviewed 1452 studies, 10 of which satisfied all the inclusion criteria and involved 17 380 patients subjected to AAM and 67 525 subjected to BAM. Based on the full random effects model, patients who received AAM had lower odds of survival (odds ratio [OR], 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-0.90) compared with BAM. Subgroup analysis for ETI vs BAM showed no significant association with respect to survival (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.16-1.23). There were no significant differences in the odds of neurologic recovery between AAM and BAM (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.03-1.37). ConclusionsOur results reveal decreased survival odds for OHCA patients treated with AAM by emergency medical service personnel compared with BAM. However, the role of prehospital AAM, especially ETI, on achieving neurologic recovery remains unclear.

Pediatric Airway Management and Prehospital Patient Safety: Results of a National Delphi Survey by the Children's Safety Initiative-Emergency Medical Services for Children.

The objective of this study was to determine what aspects of prehospital pediatric airway management may contribute to patient safety events. We conducted a 3-phase Delphi survey in prehospital professionals across the United States to identify potential contributors to patient safety events. Respondents ranked how likely factors were to contribute on a 9-point Likert-type scale and were allowed to elaborate through open-ended questions. Analysis was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, including Likert-type responses and open-ended questions which were analyzed for specific themes. All 3 phases of the survey were completed by 492 participants; 50.8% of respondents were paramedics, 22% were emergency medical technician-basics/first responders, and 11.4% were physicians. Seventy-five percent identified lack of experience with advanced airway management, and 44% identified medical decision making regarding airway interventions as highly likely to lead to safety events. Within the domain of technical skills, advanced airway management was ranked in the top 3 contributors to safety events by 71% of participants, and bag-mask ventilation by 18%. Qualitative analysis of questions within the domains of equipment and technical skills identified endotracheal intubation as the top contributor to safety events, with bag-mask ventilation second. In the domains of assessment and decision making, respiratory assessment and knowing when to perform an advanced airway were ranked most highly. This national Delphi survey identified lack of experience with pediatric airway management and challenges in decision making in advanced airway management as high risk for safety events, with endotracheal intubation as the most likely of these.

Early-Onset Pneumonia in Non-Traumatic Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients with Special Focus on Prehospital Airway Management.

BackgroundMore than half of all non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients die in the hospital. Early-onset pneumonia (EOP) has been described as one of the most common complications after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. However, the expanded use of alternative airway devices (AAD) might influence the incidence of EOP following OHCA.Material/MethodsWe analyzed data from all OHCA patients admitted to our hospital between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2014. EOP was defined as proof of the presence of a pathogenic microorganism in samples of respiratory secretions within the first 5 days after hospital admission.ResultsThere were 252 patients admitted: 155 men (61.5%) and 97 women (38.5%), with a mean age of 69.1±13.8 years. Of these, 164 patients (77.6%) were admitted with an endotracheal tube (ET) and 62 (27.4%) with an AAD. We found that 36 out of a total of 80 respiratory secretion samples (45.0%) contained pathogenic microorganisms, with Staphylococcus aureus as the most common bacteria. Neither bacterial detection (p=0.765) nor survival rates (p=0.538) differed between patients admitted with ET and those with AAD.ConclusionsIrrespective of increasing use of AAD, the incidence of EOP remains high.

Impact of System-Wide King LT Airway Implementation on Orotracheal Intubation

Objectives: Orotracheal intubation is a key component of prehospital airway management and success rates are dependent on procedural experience. Supraglottic airway devices are increasingly being used in the prehospital setting. As a result, paramedics may have fewer opportunities for performing intubation, limiting their proficiency in the procedure. We aimed to determine the trends in intubation versus supraglottic airway use over an 8 year period. We also aimed to determine the association between system-wide introduction of King LT guidelines and ETI success rates. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study of 37 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies in a 10 county region of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Cases between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2012 were included if an advanced airway procedure was performed. We determined trends in advanced airway placement and compared the proportion of cases with first pass intubation success before and after the King LT was introduced and promoted by statewide protocol starting in 2007. Use of airway devices before and after King LT implementation were presented using descriptive statistics and compared using Pearson's Chi-square or Fishers Exact test as appropriate. We compared first pass success rate of orotracheal intubation between study periods using multivariable logistic regression, controlling for other factors that may impact success of orotracheal intubation (year, EMS agency, age category, traumatic injury, and cardiac arrest). Results: There were 712 cases of orotracheal intubation before and 2,835 cases after introduction of the King LT. The proportion of cases ultimately managed with orotracheal intubation before and after 2007 decreased from 72.3% (95% CI 68.9-75.6%) to 67.1% (95% CI 65.3-68.8%) (p = 0.007). In the multivariable analysis, success of orotracheal intubation was not associated with implementation of the King LT airway (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.74-1.41). Conclusion: Fewer patients with advanced airway management received orotracheal intubation since introduction of the King LT. In spite of this modest change in airway management, there has not been a change in orotracheal intubation success rate since introduction of this supraglottic device as a primary or rescue airway in this regional EMS setting.

Visual recognition of anatomical structures in a circulated and in a non-circulated airway

IntroductionPre-hospital airway management is complex and complications occur frequently. Guidelines advice using waveform capnography to confirm correct tube position, but in the emergency setting this is not universally available. Continuous visualization of the airway with a video tube (VivaSight SL™) could serve as an alternative confirmation method, provided that airway structures are properly recognized. With this study we wanted to investigate whether airway management practitioners were able to recognize anatomical structures both in a circulated and in a non-circulated airway. MethodsTen staff anesthetists, ten trainee anesthetists and ten paramedics were asked to examine four pictures of a circulated airway, obtained in a healthy patient and four pictures of a non-circulated airway, obtained in a human cadaver. Correct recognition of the tube position in the airway was scored. ResultsAnatomic structures in the circulated airway were more often recognized than in the non-circulated airway, 90% vs. 43% respectively (P<.001). Overall, anesthetists performed better than paramedics (P=.009), but also when only pictures of the non-circulated model were taken into account (P=.007). The majority of participants and all staff anesthetists correctly recognized the vocal cords in both the circulated and non-circulated airway. ConclusionsPictures of a circulated airway were more often recognized than of a non-circulated airway and personnel with a daily routine in airway management performed better than personnel with less frequent exposure. Future research should determine whether continuous visualization of the airway with a video tube could reduce the number of misplaced tracheal tubes in pre-hospital airway management.

Ease and difficulty of pre-hospital airway management in 425 paediatric patients treated by a helicopter emergency medical service: a retrospective analysis.

BackgroundPre-hospital paediatric airway management is complex. A variety of pitfalls need prompt response to establish and maintain adequate ventilation and oxygenation. Anatomical disparity render laryngoscopy different compared to the adult. The correct choice of endotracheal tube size and depth of insertion is not trivial and often challenged due to the initially unknown age of child.MethodsData from 425 paediatric patients (<17 years of age) with any airway manipulation treated by a Swiss Air-Ambulance crew between June 2010 and December 2013 were retrospectively analysed. Endpoints were: 1) Endotracheal intubation success rate and incidence of difficult airway management in primary missions. 2) Correlation of endotracheal tube size and depth of insertion with patient’s age in all (primary and secondary) missions.ResultsIn primary missions, the first laryngoscopy-guided endotracheal intubation attempt was successful in 95.3% of cases, with an overall success rate of 98.6%. Difficult airway management was reported in 10 (4.7%) patients. Endotracheal tube size was frequently chosen inadequately large (overall 50 of 343 patients: 14.6%), especially and statistically significant in the age group below 1 year (19 of 33 patients; p < 0.001). Tubes were frequently and distinctively more deeply inserted (38.9%) than recommended by current formulae.ConclusionDifficult airway management, including cannot intubate and cannot ventilate situations during pre-hospital paediatric emergency treatment was rare. In contrast, the success rate of endotracheal intubation at the first attempt was very high. High numbers of inadequate endotracheal tube size and deep placement according to patient age require further analysis. Practical algorithms need to be found to prevent potentially harmful treatment.

Prehospital airway technique does not influence incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in trauma patients.

The relationship between the prehospital airway device used and later development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is unknown. We sought to determine if the prehospital airway device choice is associated with an increased risk of VAP in risk-adjusted critically injured patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of all trauma patients requiring definitive airway placement before intensive care unit admission at a Level I trauma center from 2008 to 2012. Prehospital airway management strategies were classified as extraglottic device placement, endotracheal intubation, bag-valve mask ventilation (BVM), or lack of a prehospital airway with subsequent intubation at the trauma center. Patients were excluded if they were hospital transfers, were dead on arrival, died in the emergency department, or did not require at least 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. The primary end point was the development of VAP as determined by institutional guidelines for diagnosis. Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for VAP. A total of 317 patients met inclusion criteria. The median age was 37 years (interquartile range, 25-51 years), 75% were male, 78% sustained a blunt injury, and the median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 29 (interquartile range, 21-34). Ninety-seven patients (30.6%) developed VAP. Prehospital airway strategies were as follows: 17 (5.4%) had extraglottic device placement, 28 (8.8%) had BVM, 84 (26.5%) had endotracheal intubation, and 188 (59.3%) had no prehospital airway placement and were intubated after arrival. The type of prehospital airway was not statistically significant in terms of VAP development (range, 26.1-42.9%; p = 0.15). The only statistically significant predictor of VAP was length of mechanical ventilation (univariate: odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.18; p ≤ 0.01; multivariate: odds ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.20; p ≤ 0.01). Our data suggest that the prehospital airway device used was not associated with the development of VAP. Therapeutic study, level IV; epidemiologic study, level III.

Are prehospital airway management resources compatible with difficult airway algorithms? A nationwide cross-sectional study of helicopter emergency medical services in Japan.

Purpose Immediate access to the equipment required for difficult airway management (DAM) is vital. However, in Japan, data are scarce regarding the availability of DAM resources in prehospital settings. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Japanese helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) are adequately equipped to comply with the DAM algorithms of Japanese and American professional anesthesiology societies.MethodsThis nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2015. Base hospitals of HEMS were mailed a questionnaire about their airway management equipment and back-up personnel. Outcome measures were (1) call for help, (2) supraglottic airway device (SGA) insertion, (3) verification of tube placement using capnometry, and (4) the establishment of surgical airways, all of which have been endorsed in various airway management guidelines. The criteria defining feasibility were the availability of (1) more than one physician, (2) SGA, (3) capnometry, and (4) a surgical airway device in the prehospital setting.Results Of the 45 HEMS base hospitals questioned, 42 (93.3 %) returned completed questionnaires. A surgical airway was practicable by all HEMS. However, in the prehospital setting, back-up assistance was available in 14.3 %, SGA in 16.7 %, and capnometry in 66.7 %. No HEMS was capable of all four steps.ConclusionIn Japan, compliance with standard airway management algorithms in prehospital settings remains difficult because of the limited availability of alternative ventilation equipment and back-up personnel. Prehospital health care providers need to consider the risks and benefits of performing endotracheal intubation in environments not conducive to the success of this procedure.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00540-015-2124-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Pediatric Out-of-Hospital Intubations: Experience of a Single EMS Agency

In a retrospective study of pediatric (<13 years) prehospital paramedic airway management in King County, Washington, investigators assessed the

Advanced airway management for pre-hospital trauma patients

The need for timely and appropriate airway management for trauma patients is widely recognised. There are a small number of severely injured patients who cannot be adequately supported with basic airway manoeuvres, and require early advanced airway management. The way in which this care is provided remains highly controversial. Whilst it is clear that effective airway management remains a priority for all patients and poorly performed pre-hospital anaesthesia may be detrimental to patient outcome, debate remains over exactly which patients will benefit from early advanced airway interventions, and how it should be provided. The evidence base is small and inconsistent, with significant heterogeneity in the reported data, making it impossible to draw meaningful conclusions. Current practice is not standardised, and care is delivered by providers of different abilities using a range of equipment and techniques. Standards of care provided during in-hospital practice relating to these issues of provider competence, equipment, and monitoring should be directly translated into delivery of care outside the hospital, but this is not always the case. The aim of this review is to evaluate the current evidence surrounding pre-hospital advanced airway management.

The role for surgery in pre-hospital care

Pre-hospital care requires a broad skillset. One of the most challenging aspects of pre-hospital care is performing surgical procedures. The indications and evidence for performing pre-hospital surgical airway, thoracostomy, thoracotomy, caesarean section and amputation are discussed. Where evidence for the procedure is lacking from pre-hospital care, evidence from in-hospital experience is sought.

Prehospital Airway Management in Emergency and Trauma Patients: A Cross-sectional Study of Ambulance Service Providers and Staff in a Low- and Middle-income Country

Prehospital airway management (AM) is the first priority in the care of emergency and trauma victims as it has shown to improve survival in these patients. The aim of this study was to assess training and knowledge of ambulance staff and availability of AM equipment in ambulances of Karachi, Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted from June through September 2014. Interviews were conducted with management of six ambulance service providers and 165 ambulance staff. Data from the management included availability of AM equipment in the ambulances, number and designation of staff sent for emergency calls, and AM training of staff. Ambulance staff were assessed for their awareness, knowledge, and training pertaining to AM. All the ambulance services (A through F) had basic equipment for AM but lacked qualified and trained staff. All services had solo drivers (98.3%) for emergency calls; however, Ambulance Service A also had doctors and paramedics. Only 35.7% (59/165) of ambulance staff had awareness regarding AM, out of which 77.9% (46/59) belonged to Ambulance Service A. Of these 59 staff, 81.4% received some form of AM training. Staff with AM awareness, when assessed for knowledge pertaining to AM steps and AM equipment, had a mean score of 4.7/5 and 8.4/12, respectively. Even though ambulances are equipped with basic equipment, due to lack of trained staff, these ambulances only serve the mere purpose of transportation. There is a need to train ambulance staff and increase ambulance to staff ratio to improve prehospital AM and patient survival.