• Shane George, Elliot Long, Ben Gelbart, Stuart R Dalziel, Franz E Babl, Andreas Schibler, and Paediatric Critical Care Research Group (PCCRG), Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Paediatric Study Group (ANZICS PSG) and Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) research networks.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
• Emerg Med Australas. 2020 Dec 1; 32 (6): 1052-1058.

ObjectiveIntubation of children in the emergency setting is a high-risk, low incidence event. Standardisation of clinical practice has been hampered by a lack of high-quality evidence to support one technique over another. The aim of the present study is to determine clinician preference in intubation practice of children in EDs and ICUs in Australia and New Zealand to provide baseline information to allow future targeted research focused on improving the safety and efficacy of paediatric emergency airway management.MethodsThe present study was a voluntary questionnaire undertaken by medical staff at registrar level or above in EDs and ICUs associated with the Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) and Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Paediatric Study Group (ANZICS PSG) research networks. Respondents reported on their individual intubation practices, with a focus on pre-oxygenation and apnoeic oxygenation techniques, and the use of video laryngoscopy.ResultsA total of 502 clinicians were invited to complete the survey between May and October 2018 with 336 (66.9%) responded. There was marked variation in practice between ED clinicians and ICU clinicians in the techniques used for pre-oxygenation, the frequency of use of apnoeic oxygenation and the reported use of video laryngoscopy.ConclusionsWithin Australia and New Zealand there is considerable variation in paediatric emergency airway clinical practice, in particular with respect to pre-oxygenation, apnoeic oxygenation and use of video laryngoscopy. Definitive clinical trials are required to best inform clinical practice in this area.© 2020 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.

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