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Review
. 2022 Oct 27;11(21):6336.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11216336.

Design and Implementation of Airway Response Teams to Improve the Practice of Emergency Airway Management

Kelly A Tankard  1 , Milad Sharifpour  2 , Marvin G Chang  1 , Edward A Bittner  1
Affiliations
Review

Design and Implementation of Airway Response Teams to Improve the Practice of Emergency Airway Management

Kelly A Tankard et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Emergency airway management (EAM) is a commonly performed procedure in the critical care setting. Despite clinical advances that help practitioners identify patients at risk for having a difficult airway, improved airway management tools, and algorithms that guide clinical decision-making, the practice of EAM is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that a dedicated airway response team (ART) can help mitigate the risks associated with EAM and provide a framework for airway management in acute settings. We review the risks and challenges related to EAM and describe strategies to improve patient care and outcomes via implementation of an ART.

Keywords: airway response team; difficult airway; emergency airway management; intubation-related complications.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Challenges in Emergency Airway Management. Data from Higgs et al. [7] and Jabaley and Bittner [8].
Figure 2
Figure 2
ART Team Members. Data from Long L, Vanderhoff B, Smyke N et al. [23] and Damrose JF, Eropkin W, Ng S et al. [24].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Roles of the Airway Response Team. Data from Atkins JH, Rassekh CH, Chalian AA et al. [25] and Atkins JH, Rassekh CH [27].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Characteristics of High-Risk Patients and Factors Suggestive of Difficult Airway Management. Data from Damrose JF, Eropkin W, Ng S et al. [24], Atkins JH, Rassekh CH, Chalian AA et al. [25], Atkins JH, Rassekh CH [27] and Feinleib J, Foley L, Mark L. [33].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Key elements for effective airway response teams. Adapted from Bittner and Sharifpour [28].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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