Airway Management Complication Study Praised as "Herculean"

Airway management experts are praising a large review of airway-related complications, saying the "herculean" effort provides important insights into the nature of airway management complications, according to an Anesthesiology News report.

The researchers from the United Kingdom analyzed data from a national registry that included 2.9 million general anesthesia procedures conducted between Sept. 2008 and Sept. 2009. The data included 184 serious airway complications that led to death, brain damage, emergency airway surgery, unanticipated admission to the ICU or prolonged ICU stay.

Of the complications, 133 occurred during anesthesia, 36 occurred in the ICU and 15 occurred in the emergency department. One of the most significant findings was that the quality of airway management was rated "good" in just 18 percent of the 133 anesthesia-related airway complications.

The findings suggest anesthesiologists must determine ways to better manage the airways of obese patients. In patients with a high body mass index, there were more "poor" airway management cases than there were "good."

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