Rapid Intubation Sequence: 4-Year Experience in an Emergency Department

The rapid intubation sequence is advanced airway management that effectively ensures an adequate supply of oxygen in critically ill patients. The medical personnel in the emergency department performed this procedure.

To describe the main characteristics of the rapid intubation sequence in an emergency department of a high complexity hospital.

This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study. We included all older patients with a rapid intubation sequence requirement in the emergency department from 2014 to 2017. We used central tendency measures for numerical variables and proportions for categorical variables.

A total of 401 patients were eligible for this analysis. The main indication for intubation was the Glasgow Coma Scale = <8 in 170 patients (42.4%), followed by hypoxemia in 142 patients (35.4%). In 36 patients, at least one complication occurred. RSI was performed in 54.4% by emergency physician. RSI was successful on the first attempt in 90.5%. Only 36 patients (9%) presented complications.

In this study, we found that the rapid intubation sequence was not related to a high proportion of complications. Perhaps, this is attributed to the degree of medical training and the use of emergency department protocols in our hospital.