How China anesthesiologists document and communicate difficult airway management

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The Chinese Society of Anesthesiology recommends documenting and notifying patients with difficult airways.
• Compliance with difficult airway notification protocols remains unclear.
• This study assessed the status and barriers to difficult airway notification at Plastic Surgery Hospital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the current status of difficult airway notification.
• To determine the need for difficult airway notification.
• To explore factors contributing to noncompliance with difficult airway notification.

Main Methods:

• Surveys administered to anesthesiologists, surgeons, and patients at Plastic Surgery Hospital.
• Assessed attitudes and current practices regarding difficult airway notification.
• Identified barriers to compliance with difficult airway notification.

Main Results:

• High patient (89.46%) and provider (91.22% surgeons, 91.18% anesthesiologists) support for difficult airway notification.
• Low verbal notification rates by anesthesiologists (less than 50% of patients).
• Barriers include absence of mandatory rules (34.69%), increased workload (18.37%), and lack of notification methods (16.33%).

Conclusions:

• Compliance with difficult airway notification is low at Plastic Surgery Hospital.
• A well-developed notification system and alert forms are needed.
• Addressing these barriers may improve difficult airway management and patient safety.