A Prospective Observational Cohort Study of Airway Management in Emergency Departments in the Netherlands

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to describe how airway management is performed in Emergency Departments (EDs) across the Netherlands, focusing on the procedure of endotracheal intubation. This technique is important in emergency care for patients with conditions like trauma, stroke, respiratory failure, or airway obstruction. While this intervention can save lives, it also carries risks such as airway injury, aspiration, low oxygen levels, low blood pressure, and cardiac arrest, which appear more frequently in EDs than in operating rooms. The study will collect data from as many Dutch ED centers as possible over several years, focusing on patients who undergo endotracheal intubation. This includes the planning, preparation, and execution of this procedure. The research will not involve treatment changes but will observe and record details about the process, including reasons for intubation and any complications. Participants will be patients who receive airway management in the ED. Researchers will monitor and record any adverse events occurring within 10 minutes after starting intubation, along with success rates of the first intubation attempt and the reasons for intubation. Data must be reported within 24 hours of the procedure. The study aims to improve understanding of airway management practices and support future quality improvements and research in Dutch emergency care.

ED Airway Management in the Netherlands.