Over 15 years ago, Ron Walls and colleagues launched the ational Emergency Airway Registry (NEAR), a multicenter effort o characterize airway management practices in United States US) Emergency Departments (ED).1,2 Data from NEAR helped o demonstrate the competence of emergency physicians in the ost advanced airway management techniques and to spotlight mergent airway management as a defining i...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to identify the patterns of liability associated with malpractice claims arising from management of the difficult airway. METHODS Using the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims database, the authors examined 179 claims for difficult airway management between 1985 and 1999 where a supplemental data collection tool was used and focused on ...

1. Discuss common areas of concern that relate to perioperative best practices when managing the can’t-intubate, can’t-oxygenate scenario. 2. Discuss best practices that could enhance safety during crisis management of a failed airway. 3. Describe implementation of evidence-based practice in relation to perioperative nursing care for difficult or failed airway crisis in the perioperative setting.

OBJECTIVE As a consequence of evolving medical practice, the epidemiology of potentially life-threatening upper airway infections is changing. We report our experience over 9 years with viral croup, epiglottitis, and bacterial tracheitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS We studied a retrospective case series of patients admitted to Vermont Children's Hospital with potentially life-threatening upper airw...

The author considers airway maintenance in the care of adult patients by providing a clinical overview of the pre- and post-operative requirements of tracheostomy care, including complications and the longer term implications that can arise immediately after tracheostomy surgery.

To minimize risk of spinal cord injury, airway management providers must understand the anatomic and functional relationship between the airway, cervical column, and spinal cord. Patients with known or suspected cervical spine injury may require emergent intubation for airway protection and ventilatory support or elective intubation for surgery with or without rigid neck stabilization (i.e., ha...