title: Urgent tracheal intubation in general hospital units: an observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of complications and outcomes of urgent intubations in general hospital units.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational, cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-affiliated hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  150 patients who underwent tracheal intubation in the general care units.
  
  
  METHODS
  A standardized data collection form was used prospectively to record events at the time of intubation. Patient outcomes were extracted from the medical record.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The complication rate was 27%. The most common complications were multiple attempts (9% required>2 intubations) and esophageal intubation (9%). The complication rate for elective intubation (22%) was similar to the complication rate for emergent intubations (27%). Of patients intubated in the general care units, 52% survived and 33% of these were discharged. There was no significant difference (P=0.46) in survival between the patients intubated electively (59%) and emergently (50%). There was no significant difference (P=0.63) in survival between patients with (48%) and without complications (54%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endotracheal intubation in general hospital units carries a high rate of complications, and patients who are intubated in general hospital units have a high mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Benedetto
authors.forename: Dean R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gettings
authors.forename: Luca M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bigatello
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toon
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Hurford
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001900:Boston; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis