title: Improving documentation in prehospital rapid sequence intubation: investigating the use of a dedicated airway registry form.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The quality of medical documentation is integral to audit, clinical governance, education, medico-legal aspects and continuity of patient care. This study aims to investigate the introduction of a dedicated 'Airway Registry Form' (ARF) on the quality of documentation in prehospital rapid sequence intubation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review and comparison of 96 cases predating the introduction of the ARF and 90 cases immediately following its introduction were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The introduction of the ARF yielded significant improvement in the recording of selected data points: difficult airway indicators (p<0.0001), Cormack-Lehane grade of laryngoscopy at first attempt (p<0.0001), documentation of confirmation of tracheal intubation with end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring (p=0.015) and recording of intubator's details (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study validates the use of a dedicated ARF for the improvement of documentation and data collection related to prehospital rapid sequence intubation when compared with post-event extraction of data from a generic case-record.
authors.affiliation: Greater Sydney Area Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, Ambulance Service of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2200, Australia. rogerbloomer@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bloomer
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ware
mesh_terms: D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration; D012189:Retrospective Studies