Prehospital pediatric endotracheal intubation performance review

Pediatr Emerg Care. 1989 Mar;5(1):1-4. doi: 10.1097/00006565-198903000-00001.

Abstract

Pediatric prehospital care was reviewed over a one-year period to determine success rate, causes of unsuccessful attempts, and complications of performing endotracheal intubation. The Milwaukee County Emergency Medicine Technician-Paramedics (EMT-Ps) responded to 1467 pediatric (less than 19 years of age) patient calls. This accounted for 11% of the patients who received EMT-P care during the study period. Of the 63 patients requiring pediatric endotracheal intubation, 49 (78%) were successfully intubated. Of the 42 pulseless nonbreathing (PNB) patients, 39 (93%) were successfully Of the 21 patients judged to be in impending respiratory failure, 10 (48%) were successfully intubated. Common difficulties in intubating the PNB patient included inability to visualize the glottis and cords secondary to mucus and/or vomitus, use of inappropriately small endotracheal tubes, and accidental extubation during transport. Difficulties in intubating impending respiratory failure patients included patient resistance and seizure activity. We recommend that the EMT-P training curriculum include a review of these difficulties and that prehospital pediatric endotracheal intubation performance be monitored and reviewed with the EMT-Ps.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Allied Health Personnel*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Emergency Medical Technicians*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Intubation, Intratracheal / methods*
  • Male
  • Respiratory Insufficiency / therapy
  • Resuscitation / methods*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sudden Infant Death / therapy
  • Wisconsin
  • Wounds and Injuries / therapy