Anaesthesiologist-provided prehospital airway management in patients with traumatic brain injury: an observational study

BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend that patients with brain trauma with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of less than 9 should have an airway established. Hypoxia, hypotension and hypertension as well as hypoventilation and hyperventilation may worsen outcome in these patients. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to investigate guideline adherence, reasons for nonadherence and the incidences of complications related to prehospital advanced airway management in patients with traumatic brain injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively collected data from eight anaesthesiologist-staffed prehospital critical care teams in the Central Denmark Region according to the Utstein-style template. RESULTS: Among 1081 consecutive prehospital advanced airway management patients, we identified 54 with a traumatic brain injury and an initial GCS score of less than 9. Guideline adherence in terms of airway management was 92.6%. The reasons for nonadherence were the patient’s condition, anticipated difficult airway management and short distance to the emergency department. Following rapid sequence intubation (RSI), 11.4% developed oxygen saturation below 90%, 9.1% had a first post-RSI systolic blood pressure below 90 mmHg and 48.9% had a first post-RSI systolic blood pressure below 120 mmHg. The incidence of hypertension following prehospital RSI was 4.5%. The incidence of postendotracheal intubation hyperventilation was as high as 71.1%. CONCLUSION: The guideline adherence was high. The incidences of post-RSI hypoxia and systolic blood pressure below 90 compare with the results reported from other physician-staffed prehospital services. The incidence of systolic blood pressure below 120 as well as that of hyperventilation following prehospital endotracheal intubation in patients with traumatic brain injury call for a change in our current practice.