J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  1999 Dec;10(4):579-586.

Endotracheal Intubation in the Emergency Department of an Tertiary Care Center

• Kim BC
• Kang BS
• Song HG
• Lee JH
• Song KJ
• Jeong YK

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze the endotracheal intubation cases performed in the emergency department.
METHODS
We investigated retrospectively 326 cases of endotracheal intubation performed in the emergency department of a tertiary care center from April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999. We focused on operators, medications used, its success rate and immediate complications, and the relationship between its success rate and medications.
RESULTS
Of 326 consecutive intubations, 193 patients(59.2%) were done by emergency medicine residents or attending physician. While 320 patients(98.2%) were successfully intubated, 6 patients could not be intubated and 2 patients underwent tracheostomy. Of 50 cases of intubations(15.3%) attempted with paralyzing agents, 48 cases were done with succinylcholine and 46 cases underwent by emergency physicians. Intubations with neuromuscular paralysis resulted in high success rates at the first attempt. Of 55 immediate adverse events were encountered in 47 patients(desaturation=17, bronchial intubation=15, hypotension=8, bradycardia=4, cardiac arrest=2, others=5).
CONCLUSION
At this institution, paralyzing agents were used infrequently, but almost all of them were used by emergency physicians.

MeSH Terms

Emergencies*
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Service, Hospital*
Humans
Intubation
Intubation, Intratracheal*
Paralysis
Retrospective Studies
Succinylcholine
Tertiary Care Centers*
Tertiary Healthcare*
Tracheostomy
Succinylcholine