We have located links that may give you full text access.
Difficult airway management in the intensive care unit: practical guidelines.
Critical Care and Resuscitation : Journal of the Australasian Academy of Critical Care Medicine 2003 March
OBJECTIVE: To review the management of the difficult airway in the intensive care unit patient.
DATA SOURCES: A review of publications reported from 1975-2002 and identified in both the Medline and Pubmed databases on the management of the difficult airway. The publications were also assessed for their relevance to the intensive care setting.
SUMMARY OF REVIEW: Endotracheal intubation is performed infrequently in the intensive care unit and usually in patients who have a higher than average rate of difficulty. The consequences of inadequate airway management can be devastating not only for the patient, but psychologically for the staff involved in whom airway management should be a core skill. Most of the reports reviewing the management of patients with a difficult airway are found in the field of anaesthesia and to a lesser extent in the field of emergency medicine. This review looks at the application of all the reported literature for difficult airway management in the intensive care setting. We propose guidelines that may assist both the trainee in intensive care medicine and the experienced intensivist in the management of the airway in the intensive care patient.
CONCLUSIONS: The principles of difficult airway management, including a back-up plan and calling for assistance early, hold true in the intensive care setting as much as in any other clinical setting. It is vital that clinicians develop their own difficult airway algorithm based on their training and experience.
DATA SOURCES: A review of publications reported from 1975-2002 and identified in both the Medline and Pubmed databases on the management of the difficult airway. The publications were also assessed for their relevance to the intensive care setting.
SUMMARY OF REVIEW: Endotracheal intubation is performed infrequently in the intensive care unit and usually in patients who have a higher than average rate of difficulty. The consequences of inadequate airway management can be devastating not only for the patient, but psychologically for the staff involved in whom airway management should be a core skill. Most of the reports reviewing the management of patients with a difficult airway are found in the field of anaesthesia and to a lesser extent in the field of emergency medicine. This review looks at the application of all the reported literature for difficult airway management in the intensive care setting. We propose guidelines that may assist both the trainee in intensive care medicine and the experienced intensivist in the management of the airway in the intensive care patient.
CONCLUSIONS: The principles of difficult airway management, including a back-up plan and calling for assistance early, hold true in the intensive care setting as much as in any other clinical setting. It is vital that clinicians develop their own difficult airway algorithm based on their training and experience.
Full text links
Related Resources
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app
All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.
By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Your Privacy Choices
You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app