Airway Code Calls - Survey of Management

• Conditions: Intubation; Difficult

• Registration Number: NCT03035786
• Lead Sponsor: Singapore General Hospital

Brief Summary

This is a survey of airway codes, which are emergency mobile phone requests for anaesthetic help to manage acute airway crises in the hospital (out of theatre, out of Surgical Intensive Care Unit, SICU).

The anaesthetists are doctors trained in advance airway management. Patients in the hospital may suffer airway crises e.g. airway obstruction or need for tracheal intubation (insertion of breathing tube) for various reasons. The on call SICU anaesthetists responds to the airway code by attending the patient in need and managing the patient at their own discretion.

Airway management will depend on the anaesthetist's knowledge, skills and experience. it will also depend on the available airway equipment.

We plan to evaluate airway codes for a 24 month period. Parameters include: type of incident; patient factors (including airway assessment); type of equipment used; anaesthetic drugs used; airway management chosen by the attending anaesthetist; and, airway complications.

Detailed Description

Airway codes will be managed as standard care. These calls are taken and managed by anaesthetists on call on SICU. The audit form is filled in by the on call anaesthetist after the airway code has been managed. This is an audit looking at:

Primary outcome

•Evaluate the type of airway codes that the SICU anaesthetist is called for

Secondary outcomes:

* Patient factors (including airway assessment)

* Type of equipment used

* Type of anaesthetic drugs used

* Airway management chosen by the attending anaesthetist

* Airway complications.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2016-11
• Status Verified: 2017-01
• Study First Submitted: 2017-01-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-01-26
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-01-26
• Study First Posted: 2017-01-30
• Last Update Posted: 2017-01-30
• Primary Completion: 2018-11
• Study Completion: 2018-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 300

Inclusion Criteria

• adults outside operating theatre and Surgical Intensive Care Unit requiring emergency anaesthetic airway support

Exclusion Criteria

• Nil

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Survey the type of airway codes that the SICU anaesthetist is called for	One hour post calling of airway code	Cause of airway codes i.e. respiratory arrest or indication for formal airway management by anaesthetist

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Survey of types of equipment needed for airway management	One hour post calling of airway code	Type of equipment used include airway bag, bougie, videolaryngoscope
Number of participants with predictors of difficult airway	One hour post calling of airway code	Predictors of difficult airway include small mouth opening, short thyromental distance, prominent upper teeth, receding lower jaw, decreased neck movement, previous surgery, previous radiotherapy

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Singapore General Hospital; 🇸🇬 Singapore, Singapore

Tan Tock Seng Hospital; 🇸🇬 Singapore, Singapore