title: Comparison of intubation attempts and completion times before and after the initiation of a rapid sequence intubation protocol in an air medical transport program.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the initiation of a rapid sequence intubation (RSI) protocol would decrease the number of intubation attempts and completion times. In the summer of 2001, an RSI protocol was implemented using succinylcholine and etomidate. Before the RSI protocol, patients were sedated with versed and fentanyl for intubation and then paralyzed with succinylcholine to complete intubation, if needed. Retrospectively reviewed patient transport charts yielded 70 patients in the pre-RSI group and 70 patients in the RSI group. The number of attempts in the RSI group significantly dropped in the pre-RSI group, and the time from medication administration to intubation statistically decreased. In this study, the implementation of an RSI protocol resulted in fewer intubation attempts and more rapid intubations.
authors.affiliation: Conemaugh MedStar, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA. airphrn@aol.com
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pearson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007440:Intubation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives