• Ahmet Çağlar, İlker Kaçer, Muhammet Hacımustafaoğlu, Berkant Öztürk, and Sema Öztürk.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Aksaray University Training and Research Hospital, Aksaray, Turkey. Electronic address: drcaglar4@gmail.com.
• Australas Emerg Care. 2021 Sep 1; 24 (3): 235-239.

BackgroundTracheal intubation in COVID-19 patients is a potentially high-risk procedure for healthcare professionals. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is recommended to minimize contact with critical patients with COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to primarily examine the effect of PPE use on intubation time and success rate among prehospital healthcare professionals; additionally, we compared intubation times among prehospital health care professionals using PPE with direct laryngoscopy and video laryngoscopy assistance.MethodsIn this prospective simulation study, we compared the intubation times and success rates among prehospital healthcare professionals who were or were not using PPE. Furthermore, demographic data, previous intubation experience, and previous intubation experience with PPE were recorded.ResultsOverall time to intubation with PPE use was 51.28±3.89s, which was significantly higher than that without PPE use (33.03±2.65s; p<0.001). In addition, the overall success rate with PPE use was 74.4%, which was significantly lower than that without PPE use (93%;p<0.001). PPE use increased the average intubation time by 19.73±2.59s with direct laryngoscopy and by 16.81±2.86s with video laryngoscopy (p<0.001).ConclusionsPPE use is associated with increased intubation time and decreased success rate. Video laryngoscopy assistance in cases where PPE use is required facilitates faster endotracheal intubation than does direct laryngoscopy assistance.Copyright © 2020 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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