Cheryl Peters

MD, FRCPC

Investigator and Pediatric Anesthesiologist, BC Children's Hospital

No child should die from airway mismanagement. The actual procedure of intubation involves placing a plastic breathing tube in the airway of a patient that provides a conduit for oxygenation and ventilation. As simple as this may sound, avoidable deaths have been documented in the literature. These events are often the result of a cascade of system failures related to equipment, environment, preparation, planning, experience and communication. Furthermore, there is little information known about best practices specifically related to patients who have difficult airways.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Our innovative project is an observational study that intends to capture a snapshot of the process of airway management across the hospital — including all out-of-OR intubations. The purpose of this study is to document events and processes circumferential to the procedure and identify areas for quality improvement and bench mark the outcomes with other hospitals world-wide.

We will collect data using an electronic research database with the goal to create an innovative database specific to BCCH as well as have the ability to collaborate both nationally and internationally with other centers that manage children who have difficult airways. This collaboration will have the potential to reduce airway management associated harm and save lives.