Air medical journal
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Air medical journal · Apr 1998
The quick look airway classification. A useful tool in predicting the difficult out-of-hospital intubation: experience in an air medical transport program.
The unpredictable nature of the out-of-hospital care environment poses unique challenges for active airway management techniques. This descriptive study was conducted in the helicopter air medical transport (AMT) environment for a period of 32 months to determine whether initial direct airway visualization classification may provide a useful tool to predict the difficulty of intubation. Data extracted from documented oral intubation attempts included initial airway visualization grade, number of attempts, final airway management method, and procedural complications. ⋯ A statistically significant correlation (Spearman's rho) was found between increasing grade and both the number of intubation attempts (0.52) and the number of complications (0.45). Initial visualization classification may serve as a useful indicator in the out-of-hospital environment to help anticipate the difficulty of intubation and the need for early alternative airway management strategies. In this program, such classification is used to monitor airway management skills.