- Joined
- Nov 27, 2002
- Messages
- 7,890
- Reaction score
- 752
This definition came out of a lot of discussions with students, medics and FTOs. I'm using it now in my airway lectures.
Novice Intubator - Still uncomfortable with difficult airways and with rescue devices/techniques.
Competent Intubator - Comfortable with difficult airways and confident in their preferred pathway of rescue devices and techniques.
Expert Intubator - Able to quickly and effectively change their choice of rescue devices/techniques based on the specific problems encountered.
I think we'll all agree that how good you are depends much more on how you deal with it when things go bad rather than how you deal with the easy tubes. What I mean by the above is that a competent operator will have a sequence that they use when they can't get the tube initially. For example many people that I know use an algorithm along the lines of "reposition/BURP, change blade, bougie, etc." A competent person will use that same algorithm whenever they run into trouble.
An expert will alter their pathway depending on what their problem is. For example an expert might switch blades for and anterior or otherwise hard to see airway but go straight to bougie for an edematous airway.
Anyway I thought it was an interesting discussion.
Novice Intubator - Still uncomfortable with difficult airways and with rescue devices/techniques.
Competent Intubator - Comfortable with difficult airways and confident in their preferred pathway of rescue devices and techniques.
Expert Intubator - Able to quickly and effectively change their choice of rescue devices/techniques based on the specific problems encountered.
I think we'll all agree that how good you are depends much more on how you deal with it when things go bad rather than how you deal with the easy tubes. What I mean by the above is that a competent operator will have a sequence that they use when they can't get the tube initially. For example many people that I know use an algorithm along the lines of "reposition/BURP, change blade, bougie, etc." A competent person will use that same algorithm whenever they run into trouble.
An expert will alter their pathway depending on what their problem is. For example an expert might switch blades for and anterior or otherwise hard to see airway but go straight to bougie for an edematous airway.
Anyway I thought it was an interesting discussion.