Airway management research: a systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
• Medical Education and Research Methodology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Ethical debates have questioned the value of manikin-based airway research compared to patient studies.
• A formal examination of airway research methodology and trends was lacking.
• Understanding research conduct is crucial for future study design and ethical considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review airway management research methodology.
• To quantify subject types (patient vs. manikin vs. other) and global trends.
• To assess reported outcomes and inform future research directions.

Main Methods:

• A systematic bibliometric review of 1505 airway management studies published from 2006 to 2017.
• Analysis of study types, subject populations, interventions, and reported outcomes.
• Quantification of patient studies versus manikin studies and their trends over time.

Main Results:

• Total airway management studies and patient studies increased annually; manikin studies showed no significant increase.
• The majority of studies involved patients (71.9%), with tracheal intubation and supraglottic airway device insertion being common interventions.
• Success rate and procedure time were the most frequently reported outcomes among 77 different primary outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Bibliometric analysis reveals a growing trend in patient-based airway management research.
• The static number of manikin studies warrants further discussion regarding their role and value.
• These findings provide a data-driven foundation for setting future research priorities and developing core outcome sets in airway management.