Using loss of wave capnography rather than gestalt assessment of relaxation after paralytic administration for RSI in the ED led to shorter time to intubation and increased first-pass success.

We’ve all been taught to use the “sniffing position” when intubating patients in a supine position. However, when adding ramped positioning for pre-oxygenation and intubation, fidelity to the “sniffing position” degrades. A couple Australian anesthesiologists have written a letter to clarify the proper technique.

This study found it was mechanically impossible to maintain 30-40N of downward force during the laryngoscopy phase of RSI.

Calling out a verbal, pre-intubation checklist to make sure equipment was present and the intubation plan (and backup plan) was in place did not result in improved lowest oxygen saturation.  Read on to see why we shouldn't ditch the checklist just yet.

Outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury was better in patients with prehospital intubation, but most of the intubations were performed by air transport crews.

Use of a supraglottic airway (SGA) was associated with improved survival with a good neurological outcome.

Numerous observational studies have suggested that prehospital intubation (PHI) (in this case of trauma patients) was associated with greater mortality than when it was done in the ED, and this systematic review indicated the same thing.

Patients intubated in the Emergency Department with usual care (no apneic oxygenation) vs apneic oxygenation (≥15L/min via nasal cannula) did not have significant differences in lowest mean oxygen saturation.

Blasting nasal cannula oxygen (apneic oxygenation) during endotracheal intubation of ED patients led to higher O2 saturation, decreased episodes of desaturation, and improved first-pass success.

Bougie use was associated with improved first-pass success in this single-center study.  But 80% in this group used it primarily and not as an adjunct, which doesn't represent common practice.