Intubation and Obesity

R. Eleanor Anderson, MD, Calvin A. Brown, III, MD   Obesity and critical illness are dangerous in combination   Obesity affects all components of airway management, including oxygenation, bag-valve-mask ventilation, and choice of pharmacologic agents, intubation surgical airway, and rescue devices. In a prospective, multicenter, observational study, researchers in France assessed the incidence of... Read more..

Prehospital CPAP for Acute Respiratory Failure

R. Eleanor Anderson, MD, Calvin A. Brown, III, MD, FAAEM   A systematic review of controlled trials suggests that CPAP reduces need for intubation.   Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) are commonly used in-hospital therapies for respiratory failure, predominantly in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary edema. To... Read more..

Do Novices and Experts Hold a Laryngoscope Differently?

R. Eleanor Anderson, MD, Calvin A. Brown, III, MD, FAAEM   Yes, and it's all in the grip.   Direct laryngoscopy is a complex skill that requires both practice and proper instruction to master; however, specific teaching on handle grip and angle varies. A handle angle of 45° from horizontal is commonly taught as... Read more..

Prehospital Use of Ketamine for Agitated Patients?

Cheryl Lynn Horton, MD  : Although most patients were adequately sedated within 3 minutes, a few required ventilatory support.   Consensus is lacking regarding an optimal medication regimen to treat agitated and violent patients in the prehospital setting. Ketamine's rapid onset, short duration of action, and sedative properties may make it uniquely suited for... Read more..

Severe Hyperoxia in Cardiac Arrest Survivors is Associated with Worse Outcomes

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP, FIFEM   Severe, but not moderate, hyperoxia portended lower survival to hospital discharge.   Hyperoxia may result in increased oxidative stress and ischemia-reperfusion injury in patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest. To assess the effect of hyperoxia on outcomes, investigators retrospectively analyzed data for 184 ventilated post--cardiac arrest patients (mean... Read more..

2014 Airway Article of the Year

Dr. Cheryl Lynn Horton and Dr. Calvin A. Brown, III, present three nominees for “Airway Article of the Year.” The nominated articles were chosen from among those featured in the 2014 Quarterly Airway Research Updates. The panelists discuss the content and merits of each article and the audience votes to... Read more..

Does Nasal Cannula Design Affect Function?

R. Eleanor Anderson, MD, Calvin A. Brown, III, MD, FAAEM   A crossover comparison of four nasal cannulae shows differences in oxygen delivery and ETCO₂   To assess whether the design of nasal cannulae influences O₂ delivery and detection of end tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO₂), researchers enrolled 45 healthy adults in a randomized, crossover... Read more..

3rd Annual Airway Article of the Year Winner Announced

The winner of the third annual “Airway Article of the Year” award was announced during a live webinar hosted by AirwayWorld.com on December 5, 2014. Calvin Brown III, MD and Cheryl Lynn Horton, MD, hosts of the webinar, presented three articles as nominees. The nominees were chosen from among all... Read more..

December 2014 Quarterly Airway Management Research Update PowerPoint Slides

December 2014 Research Update Slides to Download Read more..

Complications During Physician-Performed Prehospital Intubation

Cheryl Lynn Horton, MD   Hypoxia occurred in 15% of patients and poor glottic view was the only predictor.   To determine the incidence of peri-intubation complications in a physician-staffed Scottish aeromedical transport system, researchers retrospectively analyzed emergent rapid-sequence intubations performed between 2009 and 2012.   Of 208 intubations, 75% were performed during interfacility transport and... Read more..