Difficult airway communication between anaesthetists and general practitioners

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• General Practice
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Effective communication of difficult airway information is crucial for patient safety.
• Current communication between anaesthetists and general practitioners (GPs) is suboptimal.
• GPs expect to receive and utilize difficult airway information for patient referrals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess anaesthetists' communication practices regarding difficult airways with GPs.
• To evaluate anaesthetists' and GPs' knowledge of the Read Code for difficult tracheal intubation (SP2y3).
• To determine the likelihood of GPs relaying difficult airway information.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 631 consultant anaesthetists and 217 general practitioners.
• Assessed frequency of difficult airway letters sent by anaesthetists.
• Investigated knowledge and perceived utility of Read Code SP2y3 among participants.

Main Results:

• Only 20% of anaesthetists consistently sent difficult airway letters.
• A mere 3% of anaesthetists knew the SP2y3 Read Code, though 72% found it useful.
• While 98% of GPs deemed airway information important, only half forwarded it; GPs recommended using SP2y3 with 'high priority' labeling.

Conclusions:

• Current communication channels for difficult airways between anaesthetists and GPs are inadequate.
• Simplifying communication and incorporating the SP2y3 Read Code with priority status can enhance information transfer.
• Improved communication strategies are essential to prevent airway-related adverse events.