Author:
Adnet Frederic,Borron Stephen W.,Racine Stephane X.,Clemessy Jean-Luc,Fournier Jean-Luc,Plaisance Patrick,Lapandry Claude
Abstract
Background
A quantitative scale of intubation difficulty would be useful for objectively comparing the complexity of endotracheal intubations. The authors have developed a quantitative score that can be used to evaluate intubating conditions and techniques with the aim of determining the relative values of predictive factors of intubation difficulty and of the techniques used to decrease such difficulties.
Methods
An Intubation Difficulty Scale (IDS) was developed, based on parameters known to be associated with difficult intubation. It was then evaluated prospectively in a group of 311 consecutive prehospital intubations and 315 intubations in an operating room. In the operating room, the IDS was compared with two other parameters: the time to completion of intubation and the visual analog scale (VAS). Time was measured by an independent observer. Operators in both groups completed a checklist regarding the conditions of intubation.
Results
There is a good correlation between the IDS scale and the VAS assessment of difficulty and time to completion of intubation. VAS and time to completion have a significant but lesser correlation to each other. Comparison of IDS with operator-assessed subjective categorical impression of difficulty by Kruskall-Wallis was statistically significant.
Conclusions
The IDS correlates with but is less subjective than the VAS and categorical classification. IDS correlates with time to intubation, but it offers details regarding the difficulty encountered that time alone does not. This score may not only aid in evaluation of factors linked to difficult intubations, but it may provide a uniform approach to comparing studies related to this subject.
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Subject
Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Cited by
549 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献