• Caroline Setsuko Yamanaka, Aécio Flávio Teixeira de Góis, Paulo César Bastos Vieira, Jane Cristina Dias Alves, Luciana Matias de Oliveira, Leila Blanes, Eliton Paulo Leite Lourenço, Murillo Assunção, and Flavia Ribeiro Machado.
• Curso de Medicina, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
• Rev Bras Ter Intensiva. 2010 Jun 1; 22 (2): 103-11.

ObjectivesTo assess the physician’s knowledge on intubation techniques and to identify the common practices.MethodsThis was a prospective study, involving three different intensive care units within a University hospital: Anesthesiology (ANEST), Pulmonology (PULMO) and Emergency Department (ED). All physicians working in these units and consenting to participate in the study completed a questionnaire with their demographic data and questions on orotracheal intubation.Results85 completed questionnaires were retrieved (90.42% of the physicians). ANEST had the higher mean age (p=0.001), being 43.5% of them intensivists. The use of hypnotic and opioid association was reported by 97.6%, and pre-oxygenation by 91.8%, but only 44.6% reported sub-occipital pad use, with no difference between the ICUs. On ANEST an increased neuromuscular blockade use was reported (p<0.000) as well as increased caution with full stomach (p=0.002). The rapid sequence knowledge was restricted (mean 2.20 ± 0.89), p=0.06 between the different units. The Sellick maneuver was known by 97.6%, but 72% used it inappropriately.ConclusionsPhysicians knowledge on orotracheal intubation in the intensive care unit is unsatisfactory, even among qualified professionals. It is necessary to check if the responses to the questionnaire and actual clinical practices agree.

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