Dr Hannah Dalrymple1, Dr Kathryn Browning Carmo1, Jenna McGeever1, Gillian Massey1
1Nets Nsw, Newtown, Australia
Background: Intubation is a life-saving procedure with fewer training opportunities than in the past and high complication rates. Data from transport medicine audit showed higher paediatric and neonatal first pass success rates from adult trained teams than paediatric or neonatal trained teams [1].
Methods: We performed a comparative intervention study in July to December 2018 using historical controls from 2017. The intervention included an intubation checklist and daily mannequin airway practice at the beginning of each teams shift. Data was obtained from the existing database regarding first pass intubation rates. Details not recorded in the database were obtained using a post-intubation questionnaire.
Results: Most clinical teams consented to involvement. There was a statistically significant improvement in first pass intubation rate from 58% to 74% (p = 0.4). This was largely due to improvement in neonatal intubations 58% to 78% (p = 0.03), rather than paediatric 58% to 65% (p = 0.65). This occurred despite low compliance with daily simulation protocol at 43.5%. Staff reported benefits in communication and teamwork around performing intubation on retrieval.
Conclusions: The intervention demonstrated qualitative benefits in communication and teamwork.
[1] Reichert RJ, Gothard M, Gothard MD, Schwartz HP, Bigham MT. Intubation Success in Critical Care Transport: a Multi-center study Prehospital Emergency Care 2018;22(5):571-7.
Biography:
Gillian Massey RN BSN works as a retrieval nurse for the Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS) NSW. This is Gillian’s 5th consecutive year with NETS as a paediatric and newborn ICU nurse. During this time, she has retrieved over 250 sick, injured or critically ill babies and children in NSW. Gillian has over 7 years’ experience in paediatric and neonatal ICU care, treating patients with conditions ranging from cardiac anomaly’s to extreme prematurity. Currently Gillian is specialising in neonatal ICU care through the University of Tasmania.