COVID-19 – Airway and Ventilation Management

Contents:

 

Airway Management in the Infectious Patient

Dr. Jay Mekwan

TEAM:

  • Protection – this should be full PPE with N95 and face shield in place.
  • 3-person team in room (intubator, RN, RT) 2 outside room – RN for situational awareness and second physician for assistance; both should be gowned and ready to enter the room if needed.
  • Prep the whole team with the intubation plan so that it is clear to all what the course of the procedure should be and so they can react if things go wrong. Use good, closed loop communication pre, during and post procedure.

INTUBATION:

  • Those who are hypoxic, who fail nasal cannula therapy (3-5L/min) should be intubated early, rather than using NIPPV or high flow O2. This reduces risk of aerosolized viral spread.
  • All equipment required for your intubation plan should be taken into the room (this may vary from patient to patient and plan to plan)
  • Use RSI for cases and consider increasing the dose of paralytic to reduce cough.
  • The most experienced clinician should intubate – this is not one for the trainees (unfortunately)
  • Use VL as the intubation tool
  • Use high flow O2, positive pressure ventilation and bagging only when truly necessary – these all increase risk of aerosolization
  • Use a checklist to ensure you haven’t missed any safety critical steps.
  • Pre- O2: 3-5 mins of 15L/min NRM & nasal O2 or use a NiPPV mask attached to a BVM reservoir at flush flow rate for the spontaneously breathing patient or a tightly applied BVM, attached to high flow O2 for the spontaneously breathing patient
  • Use a supraglottic device (LMA/iGel….) to reoxygenate (during RSI) rather than bagging.
  • At all interventions a HEPA filter needs to be placed when it can as close to the patient end of the intervention.
  • Once intubated, inflate the cuff before positive pressure ventilation
  • Limit ventilator disconnects, or do them at the end of expiration

 

POST PROCEDURE:

  • Disposable, soiled equipment should be placed in biohazard bag.
  • Re-usable equipment (e.g. CMAC cart) should be wiped down using usual equipment wipes. CMAC blades can double bagged and labeled as a risk and also tell SPD when they collect it.
  • Doffing of PPE should be observed to ensure no cross contamination
  • Debrief the procedure. This is a high-risk intervention and we can all learn and improve from each others experiences. Either email me or the wider group with ideas/update or if it all went well.

 

Download (PDF, 98KB)

 

 

 

COVID-19 Airway Management infographic from Albert Chan, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong (click image to enlarge)

 

See EMCrit for more information.

References

  • Brown, C.A., III, Mosier, J.M., Carlson, J.N. and Gibbs, M.A. (2020), Pragmatic Recommendations for Intubating Critically Ill Patients with Suspected COVID‐19. Ann. Emerg. Med.. Accepted Author Manuscript.
  • Scott Weingart, EmCrit: COVID19 Intubation Packs and Preoxygenation for Intubation https://emcrit.org/emcrit/covid19-intubation-packs-and-preoxygenation-for-intubation/
  • COVID-19 Airway Management infographic from Albert Chan, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Airway Management in the Infectious Patient – Checklist

Dr. Jay Mekwan

Download (PDF, 225KB)

SJRHEM Guide to Ventilator Settings

Mike Campbell and Dr. Devon Webster

This guide is provided in case of exceptional circumstances, for example overwhelming numbers of patients requiring ventilation with insufficient trained Respiratory Therapists available for every patient. We would always recommend that a Respiratory Therapists should be present for all ventilated patients wherever possible. However, as has been seen in a number of countries badly affected by COVID-19, healthcare professionals are having to multitask in areas that are unfamiliar to them. This guide is provided to help physicians in these exceptional circumstances.

 

Download (PDF, 200KB)

See the videos below:

 

Intensive Care Society Guidance on Prone Positioning of the Conscious COVID Patient

 

 

SJRHEM – Airway and Ventilation Equipment

Airway Trays in Covid Cove

 

Airway and Ventilation Research and Resources

SJRHEM / Dalhousie EM

 

External Resources – Airway and Ventilation