The frequency and significance of postintubation hypotension during emergency airway management.
OBJECTIVE
Arterial hypotension is a recognized complication of emergency intubation, but the consequence of this event is poorly described. Our aim was to identify the incidence of postintubation hypotension (PIH) after emergency intubation and to determine its association with inhospital mortality.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study of tracheal intubations performed in a large, urban emergency department over a 1-year period. Patients were included if they were older than 17 years and had no systolic blood pressure measurements less than 90 mm Hg for 30 consecutive minutes before intubation. Patients were analyzed in 2 groups, those with PIH, defined as any recorded systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg within 60 minutes of intubation, and those with no PIH. The primary outcome was inhospital mortality.


RESULTS
Of 465 patients who underwent emergency intubation, 336 met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Postintubation hypotension occurred in 79 (23%) of 336 patients. Patients with PIH had significantly higher inhospital mortality (33% vs 21%; 95% confidence interval for 12% difference, 1%-23%) and longer mean intensive care length of stay (LOS) (9.7 vs 5.9 days, P < .01) and hospital LOS (17.0 vs 11.4 days, P < .01). Postintubation hypotension remained a significant predictor of inhospital mortality after adjusting for confounding using multivariable logistic regression analysis (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.5).


CONCLUSIONS
Postintubation hypotension occurs in almost one quarter of normotensive patients undergoing emergency intubation. Postintubation hypotension is independently associated with higher inhospital mortality and longer intensive care unit and hospital LOS.
Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, USA.
Alan C
AC
Heffner
Douglas
D
Swords
Jeffrey A
JA
Kline
Alan E
AE
Jones
D000368:Aged; D058109:Airway Management / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015897:Comorbidity; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies