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. 2023 Mar 6;207(12):1602–1611. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202209-1799OC

Table 2.

Randomization, Outcomes, Treatment Difference, and Baseline Characteristics by Quartiles of Individualized Treatment Effect Estimates in the Validation Cohort

  Validation Cohort (n = 544) Quartile 1 (n = 136) Quartile 2 (n = 136) Quartile 3 (n = 136) Quartile 4 (n = 136) P Value*
Preintubation patient characteristics            
 Age, yr 58 (44 to 69) 60.50 (48 to 70) 59 (46.75 to 69) 57.50 (45 to 71) 53.50 (41 to 64.50) 0.047
 Male 336 (61.8) 92 (67.6) 87 (64.0) 82 (60.3) 75 (55.1) 0.18
 Black 104 (19.1) 34 (25.0) 20 (14.7) 21 (15.4) 29 (21.3) 0.10
 BMI 26.8 (23.0 to 31.3) 25.6 (23.8 to 30.3) 26.9 (23.5 to 30.0) 25.8 (21.2 to 30.9) 28.1 (22.3 to 37.8) 0.053
 SpO2 100 (97 to 100) 100 (95.5 to 100) 100 (97 to 100) 99 (97 to 100) 100 (97 to 100) 0.52
 FiO2 0.40 (0.21 to 0.70) 0.66 (0.36 to 1.00) 0.40 (0.21 to 0.66) 0.33 (0.21 to 0.66) 0.39 (0.21 to 0.66) <0.001
 SBP 133 (114 to 154) 139.50 (123 to 161) 137.50 (118 to 157) 133 (113 to 152) 123 (104 to 141) <0.001
 Receiving vasopressors 64 (11.8) 20 (14.7) 13 (9.6) 15 (11.0) 16 (11.8) 0.61
 Glasgow Coma Scale score 10 (7 to 14) 9 (4 to 13) 10 (6 to 14) 11 (7 to 14) 11 (7 to 15) 0.006
 APACHE II score 17 (12 to 22) 19.50 (15 to 25.25) 16 (12 to 20.50) 15 (11 to 19) 18 (12.50 to 20.50) <0.001
 Primary diagnosis of trauma 76 (14.0) 24 (17.6) 11 (8.1) 16 (11.8) 25 (18.4) 0.042
 Active medical conditions            
  Gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage 49 (9.0) 4 (2.9) 13 (9.6) 16 (11.8) 16 (11.8) 0.034
  Acute encephalopathy 362 (66.5) 94 (69.1) 91 (66.9) 93 (68.4) 84 (61.8) 0.57
  Hypoxemic respiratory failure 176 (32.4) 59 (43.4) 34 (25.0) 42 (30.9) 41 (30.1) 0.01
  Hypercarbic respiratory failure 67 (12.3) 14 (10.3) 14 (10.3) 22 (16.2) 17 (12.5) 0.41
Characteristics of the intubation procedure            
 Difficult airway characteristic            
  Obesity 54 (9.9) 6 (4.4) 7 (5.1) 9 (6.6) 32 (23.5) <0.001
  Other difficult airway characteristic 78 (14.3) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 78 (57.4) <0.001
 Preoxygenation method            
  Standard nasal cannula 150 (27.6) 41 (30.1) 40 (29.4) 30 (22.1) 39 (28.7) 0.42
  High-flow nasal cannula 52 (9.6) 13 (9.6) 12 (8.8) 18 (13.2) 9 (6.6) 0.31
  Nonrebreather mask 267 (49.1) 52 (38.2) 67 (49.3) 75 (55.1) 73 (53.7) 0.023
  Bag mask, no ventilation 54 (9.9) 12 (8.8) 20 (14.7) 12 (8.8) 10 (7.4) 0.18
  Bag mask, ventilation 70 (12.9) 21 (15.4) 11 (8.1) 16 (11.8) 22 (16.2) 0.17
 Etomidate given for induction 408 (75.0) 101 (74.3) 101 (74.3) 103 (75.7) 103 (75.7) 0.98
 Neuromuscular blockade with rocuronium 339 (62.3) 89 (65.4) 87 (64.0) 80 (58.8) 83 (61.0) 0.68
 Straight laryngoscope blade or missing 54 (9.9) 22 (16.2) 11 (8.1) 4 (2.9) 17 (12.5) 0.002
 Direct laryngoscopy on initial attempt 145 (26.7) 37 (27.2) 38 (27.9) 43 (31.6) 27 (19.9) 0.17
 Operator had critical care specialty training§ 176 (32.4) 46 (33.8) 45 (33.1) 46 (33.8) 39 (28.7) 0.77
 Prior intubations using a bougie 10 (5 to 20) 20 (12 to 36) 10 (5 to 20) 8 (3 to 15) 5 (2 to 15) <0.001
Randomized to bougie 273 (50.2) 62 (45.6) 75 (55.1) 63 (46.3) 73 (53.7) 0.27
Primary outcome: successful intubation on the first attempt, overall 435 (80.0) 119 (87.5) 112 (82.4) 109 (80.1) 95 (69.9) 0.003
 In bougie group 209 (76.6) 56 (90.3) 61 (81.3) 48 (76.2) 44 (60.3)  
 In stylet group 226 (83.4) 63 (85.1) 51 (83.6) 61 (83.6) 51 (81.0)  
Average treatment effect            
 Difference in incidence of the primary outcome between bougie group and stylet group, % (95% CI)ǁ −6.8 (−13.9 to 0.2) 5.2 (−7.2 to 17.6) −2.3 (−16.6 to 12.0) −7.4 (−22.4 to 7.6) −20.7 (−37.0 to −4.4) 0.022

Definition of abbreviations: APACHE II = Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II; BMI = body mass index; CI = confidence interval; SBP = systolic blood pressure; SpO2 = saturation of peripheral oxygen.

Data are presented as median (interquartile range) or n (%) unless otherwise noted. Missing values: BMI, 25 (4.6%); APACHE II score, 3 (0.6%); SpO2 at induction, 11 (2.0%); SBP at induction, 10 (1.8%); highest FiO2 in prior hour, 8 (1.5%); Glasgow Coma Scale score, 3 (0.6%).

*

Testing for a difference across quantiles using Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests.

As listed in the electronic health record at baseline.

Other difficult airway characteristics include: vomiting; witnessed aspiration; upper gastrointestinal bleeding; epistaxis or oral bleeding; upper airway mass, infection, or trauma; head and neck radiation; limited neck mobility; limited mouth opening; history of obstructive sleep apnea; or other.

§

Reference: emergency medicine, anesthesia, or other.

ǁ

The average treatment effect and 95% CI for each quartile is a summary measure of the individualized treatment effects for all patients in the quartile. CIs for the individual treatment effect estimates for individual patients in the quartile could exclude 0.0 (no difference), even when the CIs for all patients in the quartile included 0.0 (no difference).

Likelihood ratio test P value for interaction term between predicted individualized treatment effect and treatment.