Open AccessGetting it right first time: time to simplify our approach to the airway by using our best tools first
Author(s) -
Matthew Llewelyn Gibbins,
Tim Cook
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
southern african journal of anaesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.175
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 2220-1173
pISSN - 2220-1181
DOI - 10.36303/sajaa.2019.25.3.2243
Subject(s) - airway , airway management , medicine , process (computing) , intensive care medicine , risk analysis (engineering) , operations management , computer science , anesthesia , engineering , operating system
Deciding on the techniques and equipment to use when managing a patient’s airway during anaesthesia is a complex process. It is influenced by many factors, including the type of surgery being undertaken, patient co-morbidities, perceived risk of airway difficulty or pulmonary aspiration and the availability of more advanced equipment. While there are many guidelines for management of the unanticipated difficult airway, there are few if any for routine airway management. It is likely that current practices are heavily influenced by national and institutional norms, personal experiences and preferences of the individual anaesthetist involved.