As departmental airway lead, i am looking to optimise assistance available to the anaesthetist invoved in the management of the airway in "out of theatre" situations. For example, in A&E, ICU, handling emergencies on wards, arrests, preparing for transfer etc.
Does anyone out there already have a job description for a "floating" ODP, responding to calls in various sites in the hospital specifically to help in airway management, check and maintain emergency airway trolleys, train in airway skills etc. It would be a pity to reinvent the wheel if such a role is working well anywhere else.
I await any response with interest.
Assistance outside theatre
#1
by toldham on Tue, 2015-01-06 13:41
It largely depends on your hospital, manpower and resources available.
since our hospital became a major trauma centre, we moved some ODPS (8-10) to work full time in A/E. ICU have their own difficult Airway trolley but they are very close to theatre and the 'on call' team can provide any help required.
for other areas there is an Airway trolley that can be wheeled in and the ODP goes with the anaesthetist. Sometimes we have to use another anaesthetist if the ODP is held up in theatre.
Dr.S.Radhakrishna
I work in a DGH and I would like to standardise the same concept in our hospital. We don't have ODPs routinely come to assist with airway management outside theatre. I know the GPAS (guidelines for provision of Anaesthetic services 2018) mentions that all intubations outside theatre must have trained airway assistant. We have been organising airway courses for the ITU and A and E nurses over past 2 years and train them with managing difficult airway. We still have incidences where airway assistant was not familiar with certain difficult airway kit. I am very keen to find out if DAS as professional body could provide us with clear guileines on the intubation outside theatre, mainly taking the DGH in to consideration.
Thank you
Kavitha Manoharan
Hi
Does anybody have weight based drawers in paediatric airway trolley? Could you please share your experience if you have.
Thank you
Kavitha Manoharan