Ultrasound Investigation of the Fifth Intercostal Space Landmark for Chest Tube Thoracostomy Site Selection in Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Chest tube thoracostomy site selection is typically chosen through landmark identification of the fifth intercostal space (ICS). Using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), studies have shown this site to be potentially unsafe in many adults; however, no study has evaluated this in children. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of the fifth ICS for pediatric chest tube placement, with the secondary aim to identify patient factors that correlate with an unsafe fifth ICS. METHODS: This was an observational study using POCUS to evaluate the safety of the fifth ICS for chest tube thoracostomy placement using a convenience sample of pediatric emergency department patients. Safety was defined as the absence of the diaphragm appearing within or above the fifth ICS during either tidal or maximal respiration. Univariate and multivariable analyses were used to identify patient factors that correlated with an unsafe fifth ICS. RESULTS: Among all patients, 10.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.45-16.1) of diaphragm measurements crossed into or above the fifth ICS during tidal respiration and 27.2% (95% CI 19.0-37.3) during maximal respiration. The diaphragm crossed the fifth ICS more frequently on the right when compared with the left, with an overall rate of 45.0% (95% CI 36.1-54.3) of right diaphragms crossing during maximal respiration. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, a 1-kg/m2 increase in body mass index was associated with an increase of 10% or more in the odds of crossing during both tidal and maximal respiration (P = 0.003 or less). CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of pediatric patients have diaphragms that cross into or above the fifth ICS, suggesting that placement of a chest tube thoracostomy at this site would pose a significant complication risk. POCUS can quickly and accurately identify these unsafe sites, and we recommend it be used before pediatric chest tube thoracostomy.

Measuring success: A comparison of ultrasound and landmark guidance for knee arthrocentesis in a cadaver model.

OBJECTIVE: Knee arthrocentesis can be performed by landmark (LM) or ultrasound (US) guidance. The goal of performing knee arthrocentesis is to obtain synovial fluid, however, it is also important to consider the number of attempts required and accidental bone contacts that occur. This study evaluates procedural success without bone contact in knee arthrocentesis and compares both LM and US guided techniques in a cadaver model. METHODS: This was a randomized crossover study comparing US vs LM guidance for arthrocentesis in a single academic center. Volunteers were randomized to perform both LM and US guided knee arthrocentesis on cadavers. The primary outcome was procedural success, defined as first attempt aspiration of synovial fluid without bone contact. Secondary outcomes included number of attempts, number of bone contacts, time to aspiration, and confidence. RESULTS: Sixty-one participants completed the study with a total of 122 procedures performed. Procedural success without bone contact was greater in the US group (84% vs 64% p = 0.02). Time to aspiration was longer for US (38.75 s vs 25.54 s p = 0.004). Participants were more confident with US compared to LM both before the procedure on a Visual Analog Scale from 1 to 100 (29 vs 21 p = 0.03) as well as after the procedure (83 vs 69 p = 0.0001). Participants had a greater median increase in confidence with US following training (44 vs 26 p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Study participants had greater procedural success without bone contact when US guidance was used. The increase in confidence following training was greater for US guidance than the LM method. Use of US guidance may offer a benefit by allowing for better needle control and avoidance of sensitive structures for clinicians performing knee arthrocentesis.

Clinical Outcome Comparison of Patients Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation With or Without COVID-19 Infection.

In severe COVID-19-related respiratory failure, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a useful modality that is used to provide effective oxygenation and ventilation to the patient. This descriptive study aimed to investigate and compare the outcomes between COVID-19-infected patients and patients who were not infected and required ECMO support. A retrospective study was undertaken on a cohort of 82 adult patients ([Formula: see text]18-year-old) who required venoarterial (VA-ECMO) and venovenous (VV-ECMO) ECMO between January 2019 and December 2022 in a single academic center. Patients who were cannulated for COVID-19-related respiratory failure (C-group) were compared to patients who were cannulated for non-COVID etiologies (non-group). Patients were excluded if data were missing regarding cannulation, decannulation, presenting diagnosis, and survival status. Categorical data were reported as counts and percentages, and continuous data were reported as means with 95% confidence intervals. Out of the 82 included ECMO patients, 33 (40.2%) were cannulated for COVID-related reasons, and 49 (59.8%) were cannulated for reasons other than COVID-19 infection. Compared to the non-group, the C-group had a higher in-hospital (75.8% vs. 55.1%) and overall mortality rate (78.8% vs. 61.2%). The C-group also had an average hospital length of stay (LOS) of 46.6 ± 13.2 days and an average intensive care unit (ICU) LOS of 44.1 ± 13.3 days. The non-group had an average hospital LOS of 24.8 ± 6.6 days and an average ICU LOS of 20.8 ± 5.9 days. Subgroup analysis of patients only treated with VV-ECMO yielded a greater in-hospital mortality rate for the C-group compared to the non-group (75.0% vs. 42.1%). COVID-19-infected patients may experience different morbidity and mortality rates as well as clinical presentations compared to non-COVID-infected patients when requiring ECMO support.

Severe Thyrotoxicosis Caused by Molar Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Severe thyrotoxicosis is an acute and life-threatening state of hyperthyroidism. While it is a rare presentation of hyperthyroidism, it is clinically significant because of its high mortality and necessitates early identification and treatment to reduce the incidence of poor outcomes. The most common causes of this hypermetabolic state are Graves' disease, toxic thyroid adenoma or multinodular goiter, thyroiditis, iodine-induced hyperthyroidism, and excessive intake of levothyroxine. The less common causes include trauma, medications (i.e., amiodarone), discontinuation of anti-thyroid medications, and interactions with sympathomimetic medications such as ketamine that may be administered during general anesthesia. Regardless of etiology, thyrotoxicosis management should be coordinated using an interdisciplinary team-based approach to optimize outcomes. We discuss a molar pregnancy requiring emergency surgery as an uncommon cause of thyrotoxicosis and highlight appropriate management steps. The patient's symptoms resolved post-operatively, and her post-operative laboratory results (thyroid function and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin {ß-hCG}) were followed until they normalized. The patient's preoperative presentation and preparation with a multidisciplinary team discussion, intraoperative anesthetic considerations and course, and post-operative management and follow-up are described.

Knowledge Gaps in Anesthetic Gas Utilization in a Large Academic Hospital System: A Multicenter Survey.

Inhaled anesthetics account for a significant portion of the greenhouse gases generated by perioperative services within the healthcare systems. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify knowledge gaps and practice patterns related to carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbents and intraoperative delivery of fresh gas flows (FGF) for future sustainability endeavors. Secondary aims focused on differences in these knowledge gaps based on the level of training. Surveys were distributed at five large academic medical centers. In addition to site-specific CO2 absorbent use and practice volume and experience, respondents at each institution were queried about individual practice with FGF rates during anesthetic maintenance as well as the cost-effectiveness and environmental impact of different volatile anesthetics. Results were stratified and analyzed by the level of training. In total, 368 (44% physicians, 30% residents, and 26% nurse anesthetists) respondents completed surveys. Seventy-six percent of respondents were unaware or unsure about which type of CO2 absorbent was in use at their hospital. Fifty-nine percent and 48% of respondents used sevoflurane and desflurane with FGF ≥1 L/min, respectively. Most participants identified desflurane as the agent with the greatest environmental impact (89.9%) and a greater proportion of anesthesiologists correctly identified isoflurane as a cost-effective anesthetic (78.3%, p=0.02). Knowledge gaps about in-use CO2 absorbent and optimal FGF usage were identified within the anesthesia care team. Educational initiatives to increase awareness about the carbon emissions from anesthesia and newer CO2 absorbents will impact the environmental and economic cost per case and align anesthesia providers toward healthcare decarbonization.

An Accessible Clinical Decision Support System to Curtail Anesthetic Greenhouse Gases in a Large Health Network: Implementation Study.

BACKGROUND: Inhaled anesthetics in the operating room are potent greenhouse gases and are a key contributor to carbon emissions from health care facilities. Real-time clinical decision support (CDS) systems lower anesthetic gas waste by prompting anesthesia professionals to reduce fresh gas flow (FGF) when a set threshold is exceeded. However, previous CDS systems have relied on proprietary or highly customized anesthesia information management systems, significantly reducing other institutions' accessibility to the technology and thus limiting overall environmental benefit. OBJECTIVE: In 2018, a CDS system that lowers anesthetic gas waste using methods that can be easily adopted by other institutions was developed at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). This study aims to facilitate wider uptake of our CDS system and further reduce gas waste by describing the implementation of the FGF CDS toolkit at UCSF and the subsequent implementation at other medical campuses within the University of California Health network. METHODS: We developed a noninterruptive active CDS system to alert anesthesia professionals when FGF rates exceeded 0.7 L per minute for common volatile anesthetics. The implementation process at UCSF was documented and assembled into an informational toolkit to aid in the integration of the CDS system at other health care institutions. Before implementation, presentation-based education initiatives were used to disseminate information regarding the safety of low FGF use and its relationship to environmental sustainability. Our FGF CDS toolkit consisted of 4 main components for implementation: sustainability-focused education of anesthesia professionals, hardware integration of the CDS technology, software build of the CDS system, and data reporting of measured outcomes. RESULTS: The FGF CDS system was successfully deployed at 5 University of California Health network campuses. Four of the institutions are independent from the institution that created the CDS system. The CDS system was deployed at each facility using the FGF CDS toolkit, which describes the main components of the technology and implementation. Each campus made modifications to the CDS tool to best suit their institution, emphasizing the versatility and adoptability of the technology and implementation framework. CONCLUSIONS: It has previously been shown that the FGF CDS system reduces anesthetic gas waste, leading to environmental and fiscal benefits. Here, we demonstrate that the CDS system can be transferred to other medical facilities using our toolkit for implementation, making the technology and associated benefits globally accessible to advance mitigation of health care-related emissions.

Application of dynamic air bronchograms on lung ultrasound to diagnose pneumonia in undifferentiated respiratory distress.

Patients presenting with undifferentiated respiratory distress remain a diagnostic dilemma. The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to evaluate the lungs and pleural cavities can improve diagnostic uncertainty in these patients. When visualizing consolidated lung tissue with POCUS, one may encounter static or dynamic air bronchograms. Static air bronchograms are seen in atelectasis and pneumonia, whereas dynamic air bronchograms are highly specific for pneumonia. We describe a case of a critically ill patient where bedside thoracic ultrasound helped to narrow the differential diagnosis early in the resuscitation, while standard radiographs were non-diagnostic.

Diagnosis of Internal Jugular Vein Septic Thrombophlebitis by Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

ABSTRACT: Septic thrombophlebitis represents a rare but serious collection of diseases, which carry a high risk of morbidity and mortality requiring prompt and aggressive treatment. Diagnosis centers on identification of thrombus along with clinical and microbiologic data. We present a case where point-of-care ultrasound was used to diagnose septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and expedite appropriate therapy. We further review the technique and literature for ultrasound diagnosis of venous thrombosis and associated thrombophlebitis.

Identification of intracranial hemorrhage progression by transcranial point-of-care ultrasound in a patient with prior hemicraniectomy: a case report.

Transcranial ultrasound has been described as a tool to identify intracranial pathology, however, it is seldom used in the adult patient population due to poor imaging windows and rapid availability of more advanced imaging such as CT and MRI. We report a unique population in which transcranial ultrasound may be beneficial: those with a history of hemicraniectomy. We present a case of a 65-year-old male with a history of hemicraniectomy who suffered head trauma after a fall from his wheelchair. An initial non-contrast head CT scan identified an intracranial hemorrhage. Point-of-care bedside transcranial ultrasound was able to identify the progression of intracranial hemorrhage, which was confirmed by interval head CT. This prompted repeat CT imaging followed by neurosurgical intervention with the placement of an external ventricular drain in the right lateral ventricle. While ultrasound is unlikely to replace the need for more advanced imaging in these patients, point-of-care transcranial ultrasound may be a useful tool that can be employed rapidly at the bedside for interval screening in patients with hemicraniectomy and concern for new or worsening intracranial hemorrhage.

Safe on Saturday: Elective abdominal and perineal surgeries can be performed on Saturday without increased risk of poor post-operative outcome.

BACKGROUND: The "weekend effect," whereby surgeries performed during weekend haven been associated with poorer postoperative outcomes. We explored whether Saturday elective procedures at our hospital were associated with poorer post-operative outcomes when compared with weekday surgeries. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing elective surgery on the abdomen or perineum from 2008 to 2015 was performed. Procedures were classified by day (Group 1: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday; Group 2: Saturday). Multivariate regression analyses were performed to determine group differences in procedure duration, length-of-stay (LOS) and complications. RESULTS: In adjusted analyses, there were no statistically significant differences between Group 1 (n = 816) and Group 2 (n = 269) procedures in terms of procedure duration (Group 2 - Group 1 = 13.6 min, p = .19), LOS (Group 2 - Group 1 = 1.9 days, p = .14) and complications (OR 0.58, p = .46). CONCLUSION: Saturday elective procedures were not associated with poorer outcomes.

Six Sigma Methodology and Postoperative Information Reporting: A Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Study With Interrupted Time-Series Regression.

OBJECTIVE: The postoperative handover is often compromised by reporting inconsistencies between different specialties. We describe a multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative to improve postoperative information reporting. DESIGN: A quality improvement project with interrupted time-series data collection was undertaken in the postanesthesia care unit between January 2015 and August 2015. We utilized Six Sigma methodology to engage multispecialty stakeholders in identifying deficiencies in the existing postoperative handover process in January 2015. A standardized handover process including a checklist and electronic handover note was implemented within a postanesthesia care unit in June 2015. Direct observations of handovers were conducted to determine reporting accuracy, handover duration, and specialty representative attendance. Segmented linear and logistic regression analyses were used for interrupted time-series data. SETTING: Single postanesthesia care unit at an academic tertiary referral center. PARTICIPANTS: Physician trainees in anesthesia (n = 82) and surgical subspecialties (n = 139), certified registered nurse anesthetists (n = 57), and recovery room registered nurses (n = 139). RESULTS: Cumulative handover scores increased by 18.3 points in the postimplementation period (n = 70) when compared to preimplementation handovers (n = 69), a finding which remained statistically significant after adjusting for preintervention time trends (difference 16 points; 95% confidence intervals 3-31; p = 0.021). No statistically significant difference in handover duration was seen between cohorts (6.8 minutes vs 6.1 minutes, difference 0.5 minutes; 95% confidence intervals -2.8 to 3.7; p = 0.78). Three years postimplementation, there was consistent use of a modified electronic handover note and surgical subspecialty attendance during handover. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized handover process was associated with improved information reporting among different surgical disciplines without significantly lengthening handover duration.

Overall survival and tumor recurrence after surgical resection for primary malignant chest wall tumors: a single-center, single-surgeon experience.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Malignant primary chest wall tumors (PCWTs) comprise a rare group of thoracic tumors with unique anatomical considerations, and experience with wide surgical resection is limited to specialty referral centers and specific diagnoses. We investigated the tumor recurrence and overall survival (OS) for patients with a variety of PCWTs diagnoses at our institution. METHODS: From 1991 to 2010, patients with malignant PCWT undergoing wide surgical resection for curative intent under a single surgeon were reviewed. Diagnosis and grade (if applicable) of surgical pathology, along with patient demographics, neoadjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and outcomes (complications, recurrence, and OS) at follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred fifteen patients were included in the study. The most common tumor diagnoses included pleomorphic sarcoma and liposarcoma. Negative margins were achieved in 70 (74%) of cases. Postoperative complications were reported in 21 (20%) cases. The 5-year survival rate was 54%, while the 10-year survival rate was 29%. The local and distant recurrence rates were 50% and 38%, respectively. OS was significantly less in patients with any recurrence ( p < 0.001) but not significantly different between pathology grades ( p = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: Wide resection for malignant PCWT is feasible when undertaken for a heterogenous group of diagnoses.

An electronic handoff tool to facilitate transfer of care from anesthesia to nursing in intensive care units.

Checklists are commonly used to structure the communication process between anesthesia nursing healthcare providers during the transfer of care, or handoff, of a patient after surgery. However, intraoperative information is often recalled from memory leading to omission of critical data or incomplete information exchange during the patient handoff. We describe the implementation of an electronic anesthesia information transfer tool (T2) for use in the handover of intubated patients to the intensive care unit. A pilot observational study auditing handovers against a pre-existing checklist was performed to evaluate information reporting and attendee participation. There was a modest improvement in information reporting on part of the anesthesia provider, as well as team discussions regarding the current hemodynamic status of the patient. While T2 was well-received, further evaluation of the tool in different handover settings can clarify its potential for decreasing adverse communication-related events.

Process Optimization and Digital Quality Improvement to Enhance Timely Initiation of Epidural Infusions and Postoperative Pain Control.

BACKGROUND: Although intraoperative epidural analgesia improves postoperative pain control, a recent quality improvement project demonstrated that only 59% of epidural infusions are started in the operating room before patient arrival in the postanesthesia care unit. We evaluated the combined effect of process and digital quality improvement efforts on provider compliance with starting continuous epidural infusions during surgery. METHODS: In October 2014, we instituted 2 process improvement initiatives: (1) an electronic order queue to assist the operating room pharmacy with infusate preparation; and (2) a designated workspace for the storage of equipment related to epidural catheter placement and drug infusion delivery. In addition, we implemented a digital quality improvement initiative, an Anesthesia Information Management System-mediated clinical decision support, to prompt anesthesia providers to start and document epidural infusions in pertinent patients. We assessed anesthesia provider compliance with epidural infusion initiation in the operating room and postoperative pain-related outcomes before (PRE: October 1, 2012 to September 31, 2014) and after (POST: January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016) implementation of the quality improvement initiatives. RESULTS: Compliance with starting intraoperative epidural infusions was 59% in the PRE group and 85% in the POST group. After adjustment for confounders and preintervention time trends, segmented regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant increase in compliance with the intervention in the POST phase (odds ratio, 2.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.73-4.49; P < .001). In the PRE and POST groups, cumulative postoperative intravenous opioid use (geometric mean) was 62 and 34 mg oral morphine equivalents, respectively. A segmented regression analysis did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference (P = .38) after adjustment for preintervention time trends. CONCLUSIONS: Process workflow optimization along with Anesthesia Information Management System-mediated digital quality improvement efforts increased compliance to intraoperative epidural infusion initiation. Adjusted for preintervention time trends, these findings coincided with a statistically insignificant decrease in postoperative opioid use in the postanesthesia care unit during the POST phase.

Self-reported functional status predicts post-operative outcomes in non-cardiac surgery patients with pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) is associated with increased post-procedure morbidity and mortality. Pre-procedure echocardiography (ECHO) is a widely used tool for evaluation of these patients, but its accuracy in predicting post-procedure outcomes is unproven. Self-reported exercise tolerance has not been evaluated for operative risk stratification of PHTN patients. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed whether self-reported exercise tolerance predicts outcomes (hospital length-of-stay [LOS], mortality and morbidity) in PHTN patients (WHO Class I-V) undergoing anesthesia and surgery. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We reviewed 550 non-cardiac, non-obstetric procedures performed on 370 PHTN patients at a single institution between 2007 and 2013. All patients had cardiac ECHO documented within 1 year prior to the procedure. Pre-procedure comorbidities and ECHO data were collected. Functional status (< or ≥ 4 metabolic equivalents of task [METs]) was assigned based on responses to standard patient interview questions during the pre-anesthesia clinic visit. Multiple logistic regression was used to develop a risk score model (Pulmonary Hypertension Outcome Risk Score; PHORS) and determine its value in predicting post-procedure outcomes. In an adjusted model, functional status <4 METs was independently associated with a LOS >7 days (p < .003), as were higher ASA class (p < .002), open surgical approach (p < .002), procedure duration > 2 hours (p < .001), and the absence of systemic hypertension (p = .012). PHORS Score ≥2 was associated with an increased 30-day major complication rate (28.7% vs. 19.2%; p < 0.001) and ICU admission rate (8.6% s 2.8%; p = .007), but no statistical difference in hospital readmissions rate (17.6% vs. 14.0%; p = .29), or mortality (3.5% vs. 1.4%; p = .75). Similar ECHO findings did not further improve outcome prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Poor functional status is associated with severe PHTN and predicts increased LOS and post-procedure complications in patients with moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension with different etiologies. A risk assessment model predicts increased LOS with fair accuracy. A thorough evaluation of underlying etiologies of PHTN should be undertaken in every patient.

A Low-Cost, Reusable, Ballistic Gelatin Ultrasound Phantom for Simulation of Glenohumeral Intraarticular Injections.

BACKGROUND: Deliberate practice of invasive procedures on simulation phantoms has been recommended to teach trainees. For many departments, these task trainers can be prohibitively expensive. Sometimes, phantoms for specialized procedures are not commercially available at all. There are currently are no commercially available simulation phantoms for the purpose of ultrasound (US)-guided glenohumeral joint injection. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to create a low-cost, reusable, homemade simulation phantom for US-guided glenohumeral joint injection using easily obtainable materials as well as to determine whether use of such a homemade model by novice learners is associated with increased self-reported comfort level and knowledge of the procedure. METHODS: Fourth-year emergency medicine-bound medical students and PGY-1 residents were asked to participate in a hands-on 30-minute training session for US-guided glenohumeral joint injection using a homemade simulation phantom. Participants were assessed by pre- and postintervention survey of self-reported comfort levels with the procedure. Outcomes were measured on modified global rating scale (GRS; minimum = 1, maximum = 7). The primary outcome was learner comfort with US-guided glenohumeral joint injection. Secondary outcomes were comfort level in obtaining adequate US image and identifying landmarks of the glenohumeral joint as well as likelihood to perform US-guided injection of the glenohumeral joint in a clinical setting. RESULTS: In the primary outcome, mean GRS scores in 13 participants for comfort with the procedure increased from 2.7 to 5.0 (p < 0.01) after intervention. Mean GRS for knowledge of anatomy increased from 2.8 to 5.4 (p < 0.01) and mean GRS for comfort in image acquisition increased from 2.8 to 5.3 (p < 0.01). Mean GRS for likelihood to perform the procedure trended toward increase from 4.6 to 5.5 (p = 0.25). CONCLUSIONS: Use of a homemade, low-cost, ballistic gelatin US phantom for simulation of glenohumeral intraarticular injection was associated with increased learner comfort with the procedure.

Population analysis of predictors of difficult intubation with direct laryngoscopy in pediatric patients with and without thyroid disease.

PURPOSE: There are no data on the prevalence and predictors of difficult intubation (DI) in pediatric patients with thyroid disease. This study (1) assesses the prevalence of DI in patients with thyroid disease undergoing elective operations, (2) identifies other predictors of DI in children, and (3) evaluates the effect of DI on postoperative care and length-of-stay. METHODS: A single-center retrospective cohort analysis of procedures in patients assigned with an ICD-9 code for thyroid disease between June 2012 and February 2016. A comparative group was created which comprised of patients without thyroid disease receiving orthopedic or urologic surgeries to determine differences in DI prevalence. Univariate analyses compared demographics and intubation details between groups, and logistic regression identified independent variables associated with DI. Patients with and without DI were compared based on procedure duration, PACU-LOS, and escalation-of-care. RESULTS: DI prevalence was greater in the thyroid group (4.9%, 51/1046) compared to the non-thyroid group (2.6%, 33/1289) (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.25-3.05; p = 0.003). DI was associated with younger age, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, and smaller body habitus (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Congenital hypothyroidism (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.44-4.32; p = 0.002)) and acquired hypothyroidism (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.42-3.41; p < 0.001) were seen in a greater proportion of DI patients. After adjustment for demographic confounders, age and ASA class were independently associated with DI (p < 0.05), while hypothyroidism did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.077). Direct laryngoscopy (DL) was most frequently used as the successful subsequent maneuver in securing the airway in DI patients. A longer PACU length-of-stay was seen after procedures with DI (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Elective pediatric surgical patients with thyroid-related diagnoses at our institution had a higher prevalence of DI than those without thyroid disease, but this finding could not be isolated to thyroid pathology. Repeat DL achieves successful intubation in the majority of DI patients. DI patients often require longer recovery times due to prolonged cardiopulmonary monitoring.