title: Examination of patterns in intubation by an emergency airway team at a large academic center: higher frequency during daytime hours.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emergency airway management represents an event with high acuity but unpredictable frequency and therefore presents a challenge for adequate staffing. Given circadian and seasonal variations, we hypothesized that the majority of emergency airway events happen after normal working hours and during the winter months.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of 1,482 intubations by an emergency airway team over a 3-y period was performed. The data were obtained from hospitalized patients who required emergency airway management in a large academic medical center. A database of emergency airway consultations was analyzed for intubation time and date information, as well as geographic location within the hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A greater percentage of emergency intubations occurred during day shift hours (7 am to 7 pm) compared with night shift hours, 57% and 43%, respectively (P < .01). The monthly frequency of intubations was not uniformly distributed across the year (P < .01). The greatest percentage of intubations was performed in February (10.9%), with the lowest being recorded in August (4.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emergency airway service utilization is highest during daytime hours, with seasonal variations composed of higher consults in the winter and lower consults in the summer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine.
authors.forename: M Christopher
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Dean R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Henry T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Stelfox
authors.forename: Edward A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bittner
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: airway management; intubation; personnel staffing and scheduling; resuscitation