Crit Care Resusc
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The development of specialised airway tools help laryngoscopists secure the airway in intensive care units. The use of videolaryngoscopy has been suggested in simulation studies, and human studies suggest that this advanced airway tool may have an advantage for difficult airways; however, less is known about its use in the ICU. ⋯ The use of a new airway tool may not necessarily lead to immediate reduction in attempts at orotracheal intubation or in overall complication rates.
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Comparative Study
Bedside electronic capture of clinical observations and automated clinical alerts to improve compliance with an Early Warning Score protocol.
Failure to comply with clinical protocols and failure of communication to ensure delivery of the most appropriate timely clinical responses to patients whose conditions are acutely deteriorating have been shown to be significant causative factors associated with inhospital adverse events. ⋯ Electronic recording of patient observations linked to a computer system that calculates patient risk and then issues automatic graded alerts can improve clinical attendance to unstable general medical ward patients.