Effective out-of-operating room airway management for physicians not traditionally trained in airway management.

BACKGROUND

There is a dearth of literature about the safety and practicality of intubation performed by an internal medicine (IM) or any other nonanesthesia, nonemergency physician.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the study were to describe abbreviated airway management training guidelines for IM physicians staffing the emergency department and to compare the success rates between intubations performed by anesthesia and IM physicians, respectively.

METHODS

In this study, 272 consecutive out-of-operating room intubations performed by anesthesia and IM physicians were evaluated after creating and implementing an abbreviated intubation training protocol.

RESULTS

Of 165 intubations attempted by IM physicians and 107 intubations attempted by the anesthesia service, the rates of successful intubation were 93% and 99%, respectively (P = 0.02). There were no other statistically significant differences in outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Procedurally oriented IM fellows could provide a temporary solution to hospitals that currently do not have the resources to provide full-time, in-house anesthesiology or emergency physicians for management of the emergent airway.