Table 6.

Failed emergency department airways

Case no.	Diagnosis	No. attempts	Personnel	Reasons	Outcome
1	Chronic renal failure with acute pulmonary oedema	3	EM, AN	Obesity, small mouth, anterior larynx	Admitted, dialysis
2	Cardiac arrest	1	EM	Small mouth	Died
3	Cardiac arrest	6	EM, AN	Neck scarring, oedematous airway, secretions	Died
4	Pneumonia	6	EM, AN, GS	Subglottic stenosis	Tracheostomy in OT
5	Cardiac arrest	6	EM, AN	Anterior larynx, grade 4	Died
6	Cardiac arrest	1	EM	Small mouth, rigor	Died
7	Cardiac arrest	3	EM	Anterior larynx	Died

EM emergency medicine, AN anaesthesia, GS general surgery, OT operating theatre