Endotracheal intubation in the pediatric emergency department

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Prospective safety data on emergency department (ED) intubation in children are limited. We aimed to describe the practice and adverse events associated with endotracheal intubation in a large urban pediatric ED. Methods: Prospective observational study at a tertiary pediatric ED with an annual census of 82 000. The primary outcome measure was the adverse event rate. Secondary outcome measures were incidence of difficult laryngoscopy and first pass success rate without desaturation or hypotension. Results: Over a 12-month period in 2013, there were 71 intubations in 66 patients (9/10 000 ED visits). Median age was 3 years, with 25% in infants <1 year of age. Indica..