The difficult intubation drill at the University Hospital Zürich

Abstract

Recently, an institutional “Difficult Intubation Drill” has been conceived and started at the University Hospital Zürich, which is intended to sustainably improve the handling of difficult airway situations. The drill consists of a weekly course in the airway management SkillsLab of the university to which all staff members of our department are subjected to participate. The hardware of the drill is a standardized difficult intubation cart consisting of 4 airway rescue techniques arranged in successive drawers that represent also the priority and order of use of these 4 devices: 1. SensaScope®, 2. Fastrach®, 3. laryngeal tube, and 4. transtracheal oxygenation and jet ventilation. This actual choice of devices and techniques represent the actual algorithm for the unexpected failed intubation. Repeated assessments of the educational results and clinical outcome of this airway course will possibly contribute to adaptations and modification of the difficult intubation cart and its clinical use.