Prehospital pediatric endotracheal intubation: a survey of the United States.
BACKGROUND
The standard of practice and teaching for prehospital pediatric endotracheal intubation (PETI) in the United States currently is unknown.  The accepted practice of prehospital PETI is of interest because it has contradictory support in the medical literature.


OBJECTIVE
PETI is an accepted method of prehospital airway control in the United States.


METHODS
Nationwide mail survey (June 1991 to March 1992) of each state emergency medical service (EMS) agency and all known paramedic training sites.


RESULTS
The use of PETI is supported by 100% of state EMS agencies and the American Virgin Islands.  Ninety-seven percent (339 of 349) of the responding (349 of 523) paramedic training sites reported that PETI was taught in their programs.  The results of the survey did not identify a predominate method for instructing paramedics in PETI.  Lectures, mannequins, operating room demonstration, animal models, and cadavers were used in various ways for teaching the skill.


CONCLUSIONS
Endotracheal intubation is an accepted standard in prehospital pediatric care.  This standard exists with marginal support in published literature and study of prehospital PETI is needed to define the benefits, risks, and optimal instruction methods for the procedure.
Los Angeles County EMS Agency, Torrance, Calif.
S J
SJ
Stratton
L A
LA
Underwood
S M
SM
Whalen
C S
CS
Gunter
D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States