Postoperative communication and patient outcomes can be improved and sustained over time with implementation of a standardized handover protocol.

Adverse tracheal intubation associated events and desaturations are common and associated with longer mechanical ventilation in critically ill children. Severe tracheal intubation associated events are associated with higher ICU mortality. Potential interventions to decrease tracheal intubation associated events and oxygen desaturation, such as tracheal intubation checklist, use of apneic oxygenation, and video laryngoscopy, may need to be considered to improve ICU outcomes.

Using National Emergency Airway Registry for Children data, we described patient-centered adverse outcomes associated with video laryngoscopy compared with direct laryngoscopy for tracheal intubation in the largest reported international cohort of children to date. Data from this study may be used to design sufficiently powered prospective studies comparing patient-centered outcomes for video laryngoscopy versus direct laryngoscopy during endotracheal intubation.

Laryngoscopy by pediatric residents has substantially decreased over time. This downward trend was not associated with the 2013 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education change in residency requirements.

Background: Tracheal intubation (TI) practice across pediatric emergency departments (EDs) has not been comprehensively reported. We aim to describe TI practice and outcomes in pediatric EDs in contrast to those in intensive are units (ICUs) and use the data to identify quality improvement targets. Methods: Consecutive TI encounters from pediatric EDs and ICUs in the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children (NEAR4KIDS) database from 2015 to 2018 were analyzed for patient, provider, and practice characteristics and outcomes: adverse TI-associated events (TIAEs), oxygen desaturation (SpO 2 < 80%), and procedural success. A multivariable model identified factors associated with TIAEs in the ED. Results: A total of 756 TIs in 13 pediatric EDs and 12,512 TIs in 51 pediatric/cardiac ICUs were reported. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) patient age for ED TIs was higher (32 [7-108] months) than that for ICU TIs (15 [3-91] months; p < 0.001).

Objectives: Tracheal intubation carries a high risk of adverse events. The current literature is unclear regarding the “New Trainee Effect” on tracheal intubation safety in the PICU. We evaluated the effect of the timing of the PICU fellow academic cycle on tracheal intubation associated events. We hypothesize 1) PICUs with pediatric critical care medicine fellowship programs have more adverse tracheal intubation associated events during the first quarter (July–September) of the academic year compared with the rest of the year and 2) tracheal intubation associated event rates and first attempt success performed by pediatric critical care medicine fellows improve through the 3-year clinical fellowship. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Thirty-seven North American PICUs participating in National Emergency Airway Registry for Children. Patients: All patients who underwent tracheal intubations in the PICU from July 2013 to June 2017. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: The occurrence of any tracheal intubation associated events during the first quarter of the academic year (July–September) was compared with the rest in four different types of PICUs: PICUs with fellows and residents, PICUs with fellows only, PICUs with residents only, and PICUs without trainees. For the second hypothesis, tracheal intubations by critical care medicine fellows were categorized by training level and quarter for 3 years of fellowship (i.e., July–September of 1st yr pediatric critical care medicine fellowship = first quarter, October–December of 1st yr pediatric critical care medicine fellowship = second quarter, and April–June during 3rd year = 12th quarter). A total of 9,774 tracheal intubations were reported. Seven-thousand forty-seven tracheal intubations (72%) were from PICUs with fellows and residents, 525 (5%) with fellows only, 1,201 (12%) with residents only, and 1,001 (10%) with no trainees. There was no difference in the occurrence of tracheal intubation associated events in the first quarter versus the rest of the year (all PICUs: July–September 14.9% vs October–June 15.2%; p = 0.76). There was no difference between these two periods in each type of PICUs (all p ≥ 0.19). For tracheal intubations by critical care medicine fellows (n = 3,836), tracheal intubation associated events significantly decreased over the fellowship: second quarter odds ratio 0.64 (95% CI, 0.45–0.91), third quarter odds ratio 0.58 (95% CI, 0.42–0.82), and 12th quarter odds ratio 0.40 (95% CI, 0.24–0.67) using the first quarter as reference after adjusting for patient and device characteristics. First attempt success significantly improved during fellowship: second quarter odds ratio 1.39 (95% CI, 1.04–1.85), third quarter odds ratio 1.59 (95% CI, 1.20–2.09), and 12th quarter odds ratio 2.11 (95% CI, 1.42–3.14). Conclusions: The New Trainee Effect in tracheal intubation safety outcomes was not observed in various types of PICUs. There was a significant improvement in pediatric critical care medicine fellows’ first attempt success and a significant decline in tracheal intubation associated event rates, indicating substantial skills acquisition throughout pediatric critical care medicine fellowship.

The overall incidence of adverse tracheal-intubation-associated events in cardiac patients was not different from that in non-cardiac patients. However, the presence of a cardiac diagnosis was associated with a higher occurrence of both tracheal-intubation-associated cardiac arrest and oxygen desaturation.

NPV is a noninvasive respiratory support for pediatric acute respiratory failure from all causes with few complications and a 70% response rate. Children receiving NPV often required intravenous sedation for comfort, and one third received delayed enteral nutrition. Those who required escalation from NPV worsened within 6 h; this may be predictable with a bedside scoring system.