[Preclinical emergency anesthesia : A current state analysis from 2015-2017]

Due to multiple factors the performance of preclinical emergency anesthesia is fraught with risks even for experienced emergency physicians. In order to support emergency physicians in monitoring and management of anesthesia, the German practice management guidelines for preclinical emergency anesthesia in adults were published in 2015; however, current data on adherence to the guidelines are not available.

In a retrospective register analysis of preclinical anesthesia from 2015-2017 in Baden-Württemberg, the recorded anesthetic agents, monitoring, airway management and medical disciplines of emergency physicians were analyzed. The anesthetic agents utilized were compared to the emergency scenarios in the guidelines (e.g. cardiac patients, patients with acute respiratory insufficiency or acute neurological disorder and trauma patients).

Midazolam and propofol were predominantly used in the 12,605 cases of preclinical emergency anesthesia evaluated. The adherence to the guidelines was 35% for cardiac patients, 51% for patients with acute respiratory insufficiency or 52% for acute neurological disorders and 79% for trauma patients. Securing the airway was carried out in 88.5 % with endotracheal intubation (capnography 79%). Discipline-related differences occurred in airway management for the devices used, capnography, muscle relaxation and the frequency of the subjectively difficult airway. A higher adherence for trauma patients and patients with acute neurological disorders was found for emergency physicians who were anesthesiologists compared to non-anesthesiologists.

The study of the current state of preclinical emergency anesthesia in Germany showed a deficient implementation of the pharmacological recommendations for action except for trauma patients. Reasons for divergence could arise due to different availability of rescue equipment, training concepts or discipline of emergency physicians. Suitable education and training could improve the quality of prehospital anesthesia in Germany.