Practitioner led extubation in recovery: a report into viability in the post anaesthetic care unit

Patients entering recovery often have a requirement for their airway to be managed. This can be performed in a variety of ways: either by having an airway adjunct placed in-situ, or by airway manoeuvres performed by recovery practitioners (Scott 2012). One of the adjuncts that patients may have is the endotracheal tube [ETT]. Traditionally patients have been extubated before leaving the operating theatre, with trained anaesthetic assistants helping the anaesthetist to remove the airway in a safe and controlled environment. Alternatively the anaesthetist extubates in recovery with experienced recovery practitioners.