An Airway Committee: An Innovative Way to Implement an Asynchronous Airway Curriculum

摘要

Background: It is imperative EM residents becomecompetent managing difficult airways. Through an airwayeducation needs assessment, it was learned that the PGY2anesthesia rotation required improvement.Educational Objectives: To improve the educationalquality of the PGY2 anesthesia rotation and to increase theresident procedural competency and knowledge with difficultairways through asynchronous learning using a yearlongairway curriculum.Curricular Design: An “airway committee”, consistingof an EM attending with national airway teaching experience,a simulation fellow, and 5 upper level residents, was formed tooutline and develop a novel asynchronous, multimodal airwaycurriculum to supplement the PGY2 anesthesia rotation andincrease resident airway competency. A FOAM (Free OpenAccess Medicine) based reading list was sent to each PGY2prior to the start of their anesthesia rotation to provide afoundation of airway management. This was paired with oneon-one simulation cases to apply this knowledge. Advancedintubation and peri-intubation topics were discussed quarterlyin small groups during conference led by faculty and seniorresidents. Additional advanced airway procedural practicewas provided in a cadaver lab twice a year and an in vivodemonstration of an awake intubation. Key articles regardingairway management were reviewed quarterly at attending ledjournal clubs.Impact/Effectiveness: We present a novel approachon how to implement airway teaching into an EM residencythrough a yearlong multimodal curriculum guided by an“airway committee”. Feedback has been favorable with100% of residents reporting that the curriculum increased the educational value of the anesthesia rotation. The total number ofintubations obtained on the anesthesia rotation has significantlyincreased when compared to the previous year (15.0 vs 8.4,p=0.045). We believe this to be a successful approach toincreasing resident knowledge and procedural competency.