emDocs - July 1, 2015 - By Morshedi B // Edited by: Koyfman A & Bright J
"Airway management is one of the most challenging and critical skills that the emergency medicine physician must master. This is particularly true in the setting of the trauma patient, where the ABCs of trauma evaluation begin with establishing the patency of the airway and ensuring adequate oxygenation and ventilation before moving through the remainder of the trauma algorithm. It is well known that delays in adequate airway management are one of the most common causes of preventable death in both the prehospital and emergency department setting.1-2 Even for patients that are initially stable, a delay in intubation is associated with increased mortality from 1.8% to 11.8% in one study.3
The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST), comprised of trauma experts in the fields of surgery, emergency medicine, and anesthesia, developed a set of practice management guidelines in 2003, and modified them in 2012 based on new available evidence and technology.4 The results of their guidelines, as well as additional evidence and pearls found in the literature are presented below to guide the emergency medicine physician in the management of the trauma patient’s airway."
http://www.emdocs.net/management-of-the-trauma-patients-airway-pearls-and-pitfalls/