Difficult airway consultation service for children: steps to implement and preliminary results

摘要

BackgroundFailed airway management remains one of the most common causes of cardiopulmonary arrest in the pediatric population. Practice guidelines addressing the difficult airway (DAW) in adults provide anesthesiologists a framework for managing the airway during the perioperative period; however, similar consensus guidelines are lacking in the pediatric population. Many of the adverse events associated with difficult pediatric airway management occur outside the perioperative setting and often result in worse outcomes. The lower frequency of DAW management required in children, lesser awareness of pediatric health care professionals about DAW management, and the need for guiding principles led us to develop a DAW consultative service. This report outlines the steps to establish the Difficult Airway Service (DAS) and the initial experiences with this new consultation service.