Airway management equipment in a metropolitan region: an audit

Difficult airway equipment containers are commonly found in operating rooms, but the availability of airway equipment beyond that environment is unknown. Using the Difficult Airway Society (U.K.) and American Society of Anesthesiologists' guidelines, we conducted an inspection audit of airway equipment at all anaesthetic sites in our region. Staff knowledge about the equipment was assessed and feedback was provided to each site. Eighteen of the 42 sites had an airway container Equipment for an unexpected difficult intubation, according to the guidelines, was deficient at all sites. Equipment to detect oesophageal intubation was inadequate. Locations remote from the operating suite lacked emergency invasive airway equipment and were, on average, a 4.3 minute walk from the nearest appropriate equipment. Two clinics had no emergency invasive airway equipment. Half of the airway containers with check lists had items missing. One third of the items with an expiry date were expired. Quality control and implementation of airway guidelines could rectify these deficiencies. Anaesthesia organisations should be encouraged to publish detailed equipment guidelines.