The success of battlefield surgical airway insertion in severely injured military patients: a UK perspective

Needle Cricothyroidotomy by Intensive Care Paramedics

Objective:

Cricothyroidotomy is an advanced airway procedure for critically ill or injured patients. In Victoria, Australia, intensive care paramedics (ICPs) perform needle cricothyroidotomy utilizing the proprietary QuickTrach II (QTII) device. Recently, an Ambulance Victoria (AV) institutional change in workflow included pre-puncture surgical incision to assist in successful placement. This review aims to explore whether a surgical pre-incision prior to the insertion of the device improved overall procedural success rates of needle cricothyroidotomy using the QTII.

Methods:

This was a retrospective review of all patients who received a needle cricothyroidotomy by ICPs from May 1, 2015 through September 15, 2020. Data and patient care records were sourced from the AV data warehouse.

Results:

A total of 27 patients underwent a needle cricothyroidotomy with the mean age of patients being 50.2 years. Most cricothyroidotomies were performed using the QuickTrach II kit (92.6%). Prior to modification of the QTII procedure, front-of-neck access (FONA) success was 50.0%; however, this improved to 82.4% after the procedures recent update. The overall success rate of all paramedic-performed needle cricothyroidotomy during the study period was 74.1% (n = 20).

Conclusions:

This review demonstrates that propriety devices such as the QTII device achieve a low success rate for a FONA intervention. Despite the low frequency of this procedure, ICPs with extensive training and regular maintenance can perform needle cricothyroidotomy using scalpel assistance with a reasonable success rate. But when compared to the broader literature, success rate using a more straightforward technique such as a surgical cricothyroidotomy technique is likely going to be higher.

Prehospital Emergency Cricothyrotomy in Dogs Part 1: Experiences With Commercial Cricothyrotomy Kits

The surgical cricothyrotomy (CTT) has been recommended for emergency front of neck airway access (eFONA) during a cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate scenario for military working dogs (MWD) and civilian law enforcement working dogs (operational K9s). In prehospital and austere environments, combat medics and emergency medical service providers are expected to administer emergency medical care to working dogs and may only have emergency airway kits designed for humans at their disposal. The objective of this article is to provide a detailed description of the application of such devices in cadaver dogs and highlight potential alterations to manufacturer guidelines required for successful tube placement. The kits evaluated included the Portex® PCK, Melker universal cricothyrotomy kit and H&H® emergency cricothyrotomy kit. A novel technique for awake cricothyrotomy in the dog is also described, which can also be considered for in-hospital use, together with the open surgical method described for the H&H® kit. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first publication documenting and providing instruction on the application of commercial cricothyrotomy kits in dogs.

Impact of Succinct Training on Open Cricothyrotomy Performance: A Randomized, Prospective, Observational Study of U.S. Army First Responders

INTRODUCTION

Primary airway failure has become the second most common cause of potentially survivable battlefield fatality. Cricothyrotomy is taught to all U.S. military providers as a means of securing an airway in extremis. However, retrospective studies show that cricothyrotomy failure rates for U.S. military first responders performing the procedure in combat is 33%. Our hypothesis was that these rates could be improved.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a randomized, prospective, observational study to evaluate the effects of inexpensive, succinct training on open cricothyrotomy performance by studying two unique U.S. Army First Responder participant groups. One participant group consisted of regular U.S. Army Medics (68 Ws). The second group was Special Operations Combat Medics. We evaluated both groups' baseline ability to correctly perform a cricothyrotomy and then randomly assigned individuals within each group to either a training or practice group.

RESULTS

The training group had a higher proportion of success and performed the cricothyrotomy faster than the practice group with 68 Ws group appearing to benefit most from training: their procedural success rates increased by an average of 23%, and their average time-to-correct-placement decreased by 21 seconds-a 33% improvement over baseline.

CONCLUSION

With one manikin, a qualified trainer, and $35 worth of expendable supplies, 10 medics could be trained in the procedure in just 2-3 hours. Our study suggests that this simple intervention has the potential to significantly improve U.S. Army First Responders' ability to correctly perform an open cricothyrotomy and drastically decrease the time needed to perform this lifesaving procedure correctly, possibly saving one in four potentially survivable combat casualties suffering from airway compromise.

Prehospital Battlefield Casualty Intervention Decision Cognitive Study

INTRODUCTION

Airway compromise is the third most common cause of preventable battlefield death. Surgical cricothyroidotomy (SC) is recommended by Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) guidelines when basic airway maneuvers fail. This is a descriptive analysis of the decision-making process of prehospital emergency providers to perform certain airway interventions.

METHODS

We conducted a scenario-based survey using two sequential video clips of an explosive injury event. The answers were used to conduct descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression models to estimate the association between the choice of intervention and training factors.

RESULTS

There were 254 respondents in the survey, 176 (69%) of them were civilians and 78 (31%) were military personnel. Military providers were more likely to complete TCCC certification (odds ratio [OR]: 13.1; confidence interval [CI]: 6.4-26.6; P-value < 0.001). The SC was the most frequently chosen intervention after each clip (29.92% and 22.10%, respectively). TCCC-certified providers were more likely to choose SC after viewing the two clips (OR: 1.9; CI: 1.2-3.2; P-value: 0.009), even after controlling for relevant factors (OR: 2.3; CI: 1.1-4.8; P-value: 0.033).

CONCLUSIONS

Military providers had a greater propensity to be certified in TCCC, which was found to increase their likelihood to choose the SC in early prehospital emergency airway management.

Performance of emergency surgical front of neck airway access by head and neck surgeons, general surgeons, or anaesthetists: an in situ simulation study

BACKGROUND

The 'cannot intubate cannot oxygenate' (CICO) emergency requires urgent front of neck airway (FONA) access to prevent death. In cases reported to the 4th National Audit Project, the most successful FONA was a surgical technique, almost all of which were performed by surgeons. Subsequently, UK guidelines adopted surgical cricothyroidotomy as the preferred emergency surgical FONA technique. Despite regular skills-based training, anaesthetists may still be unwilling to perform an emergency surgical FONA. Consultant anaesthetists, head and neck surgeons, and general surgeons were compared in a high-fidelity simulated emergency. We hypothesised that head and neck surgeons would successfully execute emergency surgical FONA faster than anaesthetists and general surgeons.

METHODS

We recruited 15 consultants from each specialty (total of 45) at a single tertiary care hospital in the UK. All agreed to participate in an in situ high-fidelity simulation of an 'anaesthetic emergency'. Participants were not told in advance that this would be a CICO scenario.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in total time to successful ventilation between anaesthetists, head and neck surgeons and general surgeons (median 86 vs 98 vs 126 s, respectively, P=0.078). Anaesthetists completed the emergency surgical FONA procedure significantly faster than general surgeons (median 50 vs 86 s, P=0.018). Despite this strong performance, qualitative data suggested some anaesthetists still believed 'surgeons' best placed to perform emergency surgical FONA in a genuine CICO situation.

CONCLUSION

Anaesthetists regularly trained in emergency surgical FONA function at levels comparable with head and neck surgeons and should feel empowered to lead this procedure in the event of a CICO emergency.

Laryngeal mask airway as a rescue device for failed endotracheal intubation during scene-to-hospital air transport of combat casualties

BACKGROUND

Advanced airway management of combat casualties during scene-to-hospital air transport is challenging. Because of the short transport time, flight physicians of the Israeli military airborne combat evacuation unit are approved for the use of a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in the event of failed endotracheal intubation (ETI). The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of LMA use during scene-to-hospital transport of combat casualties in Israel.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort analysis of all combat casualties treated with ETI during scene-to-hospital transport over a 3-year period was carried out. Successful LMA insertion was defined as satisfactory placement of the device on the basis of adequate chest expansion with bag-mask ventilation.

RESULTS

The median flight time from scene to hospital was 13 min [interquartile range (IQR): 9-15 min]. Sixty-five casualties underwent ETI attempts, 47 successful and 18 failed. All 18 casualties who had failed ETI underwent LMA insertion as a rescue treatment. Six casualties suffered from traumatic brain injury, six had firearm injuries, two had blast injuries, and two had inhalational injuries. LMA insertion was successful in 16/18 (88.9%) casualties, 14 survived to hospital discharge, whereas two were declared dead upon hospital arrival. Two cases of LMA insertion were unsuccessful, but patients survived to hospital discharge. Among the 16 successful cases, the median oxygen saturation on scene-pickup before LMA insertion and on hospital-handover with LMA in place were 90% (IQR: 84-96%) and 98% (IQR: 96-99%), respectively (P<0.0001, the 95% confidence interval for difference between medians was 4-11).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that in the event of failed ETI, combat casualties can be treated effectively with LMA during a short scene-to-hospital transport time.