Work practices relating to intubation in operating rooms in Sweden

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Medical Devices
• Surgical Procedures

Background:

• Recent advancements in tracheal tube design, cuff technology, and materials aim to improve patient safety and anesthetic procedures.
• Understanding current clinical practices is crucial for evaluating the impact of these innovations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey the current usage of tracheal tubes in Swedish operating rooms.
• To assess the influence of recent technological advances on anesthesiologists' attitudes and practices regarding tracheal tubes.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was distributed to anesthesiologists in charge of anesthetic departments across 90 acute hospitals in Sweden.
• A response rate of 64.4% (58 replies) was achieved, including data from seven teaching hospitals.

Main Results:

• A significant majority of hospitals, particularly teaching hospitals, favor tracheal tubes with high-volume, low-pressure cuffs.
• Most facilities use size 9 orotracheal tubes for adult males and size 8 for adult females.
• Over three-fourths of hospitals support inflating cuffs for no-leak ventilation, with teaching hospitals more likely to monitor intracuff pressure.

Conclusions:

• Swedish anesthesiologists are increasingly adopting advanced tracheal tube technologies, favoring high-volume, low-pressure cuffs and no-leak ventilation.
• While practices are evolving, further efforts may be needed to standardize intracuff pressure monitoring across all hospital types.