title: Airway registry: a performance improvement surveillance project of emergency department airway management.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine if use of a standardized airway data collection sheet can survey airway management practices in an emergency department. Success rates and trends from the authors' facility have been benchmarked against the National Emergency Airway Registry (NEAR). This study included all patients requiring invasive airway management during a 21-month period (July 1, 2005, through March 31, 2007). An audit form was developed and implemented to collect data on intubations. During the study period, 224 patients required invasive airway control. Of all airways managed by emergency medicine residents, the intubation success rate was 99% (200/203; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 96%-100%), with 3% of those (6/203; 95% CI = 1%-6%) requiring more than 3 attempts; 3 patients (1%; 95% CI = 0%-4%) could not be intubated and required a surgical airway. Use of an airway registry based on the NEAR registry as a benchmark of rates and types of successful intubation allows comparison of airway practices.
authors.affiliation: Cleveland Clinic Emergency Services Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. PhelanM@ccf.org
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Phelan
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Glauser
authors.forename: Ho-Wang A
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sturges-Smith
authors.forename: Stefanie E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Schrump
mesh_terms: D058109:Airway Management / Q000592:standards*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D008485:Medical Audit; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*