TABLE 2.
Differences in intubation details before and during COVID‐19
| Variable | Pre‐COVID‐19, n = 647 | During COVID‐19, n = 136 | P‐value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre‐RSI checklist used | 550 (85.0%) | 116 (85.3%) | 0.93 |
| Specialty and seniority (laryngoscopist) | |||
| ED consultant | 97 (15.0%) | 45 (33.1%) | <0.001 |
| ED registrar | 411 (63.5%) | 39 (28.7%) | |
| Anaesthetic consultant | 49 (7.6%) | 28 (20.6%) | |
| Anaesthetic registrar | 84 (13.0%) | 20 (14.7%) | |
| ICU consultant | 0 (0.0%) | 3 (2.2%) | |
| ICU registrar | 6 (0.9%) | 1 (0.7%) | |
| Pre‐Ox final device used | |||
| BVM + PEEP | 252 (38.9%) | 86 (63.2%) | <0.001 |
| BVM | 309 (47.8%) | 38 (27.9%) | |
| NRBM | 41 (6.3%) | 6 (4.4%) | |
| NIV | 31 (4.8%) | 4 (2.9%) | |
| SGA | 14 (2.2%) | 2 (1.5%) | |
| Apnoeic O2 | |||
| NIL | 159 (24.6%) | 82 (60.3%) | <0.001 |
| BVM ventilation | 79 (12.2%) | 36 (26.5%) | |
| NP | 354 (54.7%) | 13 (9.6%) | |
| NIV | 11 (1.7%) | 3 (2.2%) | |
| NP + BVM ventilation | 41 (6.3%) | 1 (0.7%) | |
| SGA | 2 (0.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
| Patient position | |||
| Flat | 265 (41.0%) | 71 (52.2%) | 0.015 |
| Pillow or occipital pad | 203 (31.4%) | 27 (19.9%) | |
| Bed tilt head up | 90 (13.9%) | 24 (17.6%) | |
| Ramped or head up | 89 (13.8%) | 14 (10.3%) | |
| Primary sedative agent used | |||
| Ketamine | 274 (42.3%) | 91 (66.9%) | <0.001 |
| Propofol | 193 (29.8%) | 24 (17.6%) | |
| Thiopentone | 112 (17.3%) | 9 (6.6%) | |
| NIL | 25 (3.9%) | 7 (5.1%) | |
| Other | 38 (5.9%) | 3 (2.2%) | |
| Midazolam | 5 (0.8%) | 2 (1.5%) | |
| Muscle relaxant used | |||
| Rocuronium | 337 (52.1%) | 118 (86.8%) | <0.001 |
| Suxamethonium | 295 (45.6%) | 12 (8.8%) | |
| Other | 15 (2.3%) | 6 (4.4%) | |
| Laryngoscope type | |||
| CMAC | 523 (80.8%) | 128 (94.1%) | <0.001 |
| Macintosh (direct) | 110 (17.0%) | 5 (4.8%) | |
| CMAC + D‐Blade | 11 (1.7%) | 2 (1.5%) | |
| Miller | 2 (0.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
| Surgical airway | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.7%) | 0.32 |
| Direct vision or video | |||
| Video | 237 (36.6%) | 106 (77.9%) | <0.001 |
| Direct vision | 410 (63.4%) | 30 (22.1%) | |
| Adjunct | |||
| Bougie | 494 (76.4%) | 105 (77.2%) | 0.026 |
| Stylet | 35 (5.4%) | 1 (0.7%) | |
| Neither | 118 (18.2%) | 30 (22.1%) | |
| ETT placement confirmation | |||
| Waveform capnography | 642 (99.2%) | 135 (99.3%) | 0.68 |
| Clinical confirmation alone | 2 (0.3%) | 1 (0.7%) | |
| Colour change capnometry | 3 (0.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
BVM, bag–valve–mask; ETT, endotracheal tube; NIV, non‐invasive ventilation; NP, nasal prongs; NRBM, non‐rebreather mask; PEEP, positive end‐expiratory pressure; SGA, supraglottic airway.