Implementation of a Rapid Sequence Intubation Checklist Improves First-Pass Success and Reduces Peri-Intubation Hypoxia in Air Medical Transport.

OBJECTIVE: Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) is a critical skill commonly performed by air medical teams in the United States. To improve safety and reduce potential patient harm, checklists have been implemented by various institutions in intensive care units, emergency departments, and even prehospital air medical programs. However, the literature suggests that checklist use before RSI has not shown improvement in clinically important outcomes in the hospital. It is unclear if RSI checklist use by air medical crews in prehospital environments confers any clinically important benefit. METHODS: This institutional review board-approved project is a before-and-after observational study conducted within a large helicopter ambulance company. The RSI checklist was used by flight crewmembers (flight paramedic/nurse) for over 3 years. Data were evaluated for 8 quarters before and 8 quarters after checklist implementation, spanning December 2014 to March 2019. Data were collected, including the self-reported use of the checklist during intubation attempts, the reason for intubation, and correlation with difficult airway predictors (HEAVEN [Hypoxemia, Extremes of size, Anatomic disruption, Vomit, Exsanguination, Neck mobility/Neurologic injury] criteria), and compared with airway management before the implementation of the checklist. The primary outcome was improved first-pass success (FPS) when compared among those who received RSI before the checklist versus those who received RSI with the checklist. The secondary outcome was a definitive airway sans hypoxia improvement noted on the first pass among adult patients as measured before and after RSI checklist implementation. Post-RSI outcome scenarios were recorded to analyze and validate the effectiveness of the checklist. RESULTS: Ten thousand four hundred five intubations were attempted during the study. FPS was achieved in 90.9% of patients before RSI checklist implementation, and 93.3% achieved FPS postimplementation of the RSI checklist (P ≤ .001). In the preimplementation epoch, 36.2% of patients had no HEAVEN predictors versus 31.5% after RSI checklist implementation. These data showed that before RSI checklist implementation, airways were defined as less difficult than after implementation. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a standardized RSI checklist provided a better identification of deterring factors, affording efficient and accurate actions promoting FPS. Our data suggest that when a difficult airway is identified, using the RSI checklist improves FPS, thereby reducing adverse events.

The Use of Ketamine for Air Medical Rapid Sequence Intubation Was Not Associated With a Decrease in Hypotension or Cardiopulmonary Arrest.

OBJECTIVE: Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) is associated with a number of complications that can increase morbidity and mortality. Among RSI agents used to blunt awareness of the procedure and produce amnesia, ketamine is unique in its classification as a dissociative agent rather than a central nervous system depressant. Thus, ketamine should have a lower risk of peri-RSI hypotension because of the minimal sympatholysis compared with other agents. Recent recommendations include the use of ketamine for RSI in hemodynamically unstable patients. The main goal of this analysis was to explore the incidence of hypotension and/or cardiopulmonary arrest in patients receiving ketamine, etomidate, midazolam, and fentanyl during air medical RSI. We hypothesized that ketamine would be associated with a lower risk of hemodynamic complications, particularly after adjusting for covariables reflecting patient acuity. In addition, we anticipated that an increased prevalence of ketamine use would be associated with a decreased incidence of peri-RSI hypotension and/or arrest. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study using a large air medical airway database. A waiver of informed consent was granted by our institutional review board. Descriptive statistics were used to present demographic and clinical data. The incidence rates of hypotension and cardiopulmonary arrest were calculated for each sedative/dissociative agent. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios of both hypotension and arrest for each of the sedative/dissociative agents. The prevalence of use for each agent and the incidence of hemodynamic complications (hypotension and arrest) were determined over time. RESULTS: A total of 7,466 RSI patients were included in this analysis. The use of ketamine increased over the duration of the study. Ketamine was associated with a higher incidence of both hypotension and arrest compared with other agents, even after adjustment for multiple covariables. The overall incidence of hypotension, desaturation, and cardiopulmonary arrest did not change over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence of hemodynamic complications was higher in patients receiving ketamine, this may reflect a selection bias toward more hemodynamically unstable patients in the ketamine cohort. The incidence of hypotension and arrest did not change over time despite an increase in the prevalence of ketamine use for air medical RSI. These data do not support a safer hemodynamic profile for ketamine.

The HEAVEN criteria predict laryngoscopic view and intubation success for both direct and video laryngoscopy: a cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Existing difficult airway prediction tools are not practical for emergency intubation and do not incorporate physiological data. The HEAVEN criteria (Hypoxaemia, Extremes of size, Anatomic challenges, Vomit/blood/fluid, Exsanguination, Neck mobility) may be more relevant for emergency rapid sequence intubation (RSI). METHODS: A retrospective analysis included air medical RSI patients. A checklist was used to assess HEAVEN criteria prior to RSI, and Cormack-Lehane (CL) laryngoscopic view was recorded for the first intubation attempt. The incidence of a difficult (CL III/IV) laryngoscopic view as well as failure to intubate on first attempt with and without oxygen desaturation were determined for each of the HEAVEN criteria and total number of HEAVEN criteria. In addition, the association between HEAVEN criteria and both laryngoscopic view and intubation performance were quantified using multivariate logistic regression for direct laryngoscopy (DL) and video laryngoscopy (VL) configured with a Macintosh #4 non-hyperangulated blade. RESULTS: A total of 5137 RSI patients over 24 months were included. Overall intubation success was 97%. A CL III/IV laryngoscopic view was reported in 25% of DL attempts and 15% of VL attempts. Each of the HEAVEN criteria and total number of HEAVEN criteria were associated with both CL III/IV laryngoscopic view and failure to intubate on the first attempt with and without oxygen desaturation for both DL and VL. These associations persisted after adjustment for multiple co-variables including the other HEAVEN criteria. CONCLUSION: The HEAVEN criteria may be useful to predict laryngoscopic view and intubation performance for DL and VL during emergency RSI.

Vital sign patterns before shock-related cardiopulmonary arrest.

OBJECTIVE: Traditional vital sign thresholds reflect an increased risk of mortality, which may occur hours, days, or weeks following illness/injury, limiting immediate clinical significance to guide rescue therapy to avoid arrest. Our objective is to explore vital sign patterns prior to arrest due to shock. DESIGN: This retrospective observational analysis utilized physiological data from adult helicopter patients suffering provider-witnessed arrest. Pre-arrest values for systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), shock index, and end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) were modeled against time using polynomial linear regression. The "terminal inflection point" beyond which arrest was imminent was identified where slope equals 1.0 (shock index) or -1.0 (SBP, MAP, HR, EtCO2) and was then compared to initial values. SETTING: Air ambulance services. PATIENTS: 70 helicopter patients over age fourteen suffering cardiac arrest. RESULTS: SBP and MAP demonstrated a gentle decline followed by acceleration beyond the inflection point (SBP 80.7 mmHg, MAP 61.9 mmHg). HR demonstrated an increase followed by a terminal drop, but inflection point values fell within normal range. Shock index increased gradually from a mean of 0.9 to the inflection point of 1.1. Initial EtCO2 values declined gradually from normal (34.4 mmHg) to the inflection point (24.7 mmHg), then dropped precipitously into arrest. All inflection points occurred 2-5 min prior to arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Vital sign patterns were defined for SBP, MAP, HR, shock index, and EtCO2 with clear inflection points identified 2-5 min prior to arrest. These patterns may help guide therapy to reverse deterioration and prevent arrest.

Joint Position Statement on Degree Requirements for Paramedics.

The National Association of EMS Educators, the National EMS Management Association, and the International Association of Flight and Critical Care Paramedics believe the time has come for paramedics to be trained through a formal education process that culminates with an associate degree. Once implemented a degree requirement will improve the care delivered by paramedics and enhance paramedicine as a heath profession.

A Continuous Quality Improvement Airway Program Results in Sustained Increases in Intubation Success.

INTRODUCTION: Airway management is a critical skill for air medical providers, including the use of rapid sequence intubation (RSI) medications. Mediocre success rates and a high incidence of complications has challenged air medical providers to improve training and performance improvement efforts to improve clinical performance. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research was to describe the experience with a novel, integrated advanced airway management program across a large air medical company and explore the impact of the program on improvement in RSI success. METHODS: The Helicopter Advanced Resuscitation Training (HeART) program was implemented across 160 bases in 2015. The HeART program includes a novel conceptual framework based on thorough understanding of physiology, critical thinking using a novel algorithm, difficult airway predictive tools, training in the optimal use of specific airway techniques and devices, and integrated performance improvement efforts to address opportunities for improvement. The C-MAC video/direct laryngoscope and high-fidelity human patient simulation laboratories were implemented during the study period. Chi-square test for trend was used to evaluate for improvements in airway management and RSI success (overall intubation success, first-attempt success, first-attempt success without desaturation) over the 25-month study period following HeART implementation. RESULTS: A total of 5,132 patients underwent RSI during the study period. Improvements in first-attempt intubation success (85% to 95%, p < 0.01) and first-attempt success without desaturation (84% to 94%, p < 0.01) were observed. Overall intubation success increased from 95% to 99% over the study period, but the trend was not statistically significant (p = 0.311). CONCLUSIONS: An integrated advanced airway management program was successful in improving RSI intubation performance in a large air medical company.

HEAVEN Criteria: Derivation of a New Difficult Airway Prediction Tool.

OBJECTIVE: Airway management is vitally important in the management of critically ill and injured patients. Current tools to predict the difficult airway have limited application in the emergency airway situation. The aim of this study was to derive a novel difficult airway prediction tool for emergency intubation. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive analysis was performed in a population of air medical rapid sequence intubation patients requiring more than 1 attempt. The Delphi technique was used to classify the etiology for airway failure as reported by providers as part of a performance improvement database. Etiologies were organized into 6 categories, and an acronym was derived for ease of recall. RESULTS: A total of 504 patients were screened, with 63 (12%) patients identified in whom the initial intubation attempt was unsuccessful. All 63 patients (100%) were placed into 1 or more categories (HEAVEN criteria = Hypoxemia, Extremes of size, Anatomic challenges, Vomit/blood/fluid, Exsanguination/anemia, and Neck mobility issues). The database was relatively modest in size, and many patients had more than 1 criterion present, limiting our ability to perform prevalence calculations. CONCLUSION: The HEAVEN criteria represent a set of difficult airway predictors that may be applied prospectively by emergency airway personnel, facilitating airway decision making. These criteria should be validated prospectively.