Endotracheal intubation of COVID-19 patients by paramedics using a box barrier: A randomized crossover manikin study

In the prehospital setting, endotracheal intubation (ETI) may be required to secure the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient airway. It has been suggested that the use of a protective barrier can reduce possible aerosol delivery from patients to clinicians during ETI. We sought to assess the performance of ETI by paramedics wearing personal protective equipment with and without the use of a box barrier.

A randomized, crossover simulation study was performed in a simulation laboratory. Study participants were 18 paramedics actively working in the clinical environment. Participants' performance of ETI via direct laryngoscopy (DL) with and without the use of a box barrier was assessed. The sequence of intubation was randomized to either BoxDL-first or DL-first. The primary outcome was the success rate of ETI on first-attempt. The secondary and tertiary outcomes were ETI success rates on three attempts and total intubation time, respectively.

There were no differences between the DL group and the BoxDL group in one-attempt success rates (14/18 vs 12/18; P = 0.754), and in overall success rates (16/18 vs 14/18; P = 0.682). The mean (standard deviation) of the total intubation times for the DL group and the BoxDL group were 27.3 (19.7) seconds and 36.8 (26.2) seconds, respectively (P < 0.015).

The findings of this pilot study suggest that paramedics wearing personal protective equipment can successfully perform ETI using a barrier box, but the intubation time may be prolonged. The applicability of these findings to the care of COVID-19 patients remain to be investigated.