Frequency and outcomes of endotracheal intubation in the pediatric emergency department

Abstract

Intubation is a core airway skill in Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM). The data on pediatric endotracheal intubation in the emergency department, especially in developing countries, is currently very limited. This study was designed to describe the frequency, clinical features and outcomes of pediatric intubation in a large children’s hospital. We performed a retrospective analysis of PEM medical records between January 2014 and December 2015 that involved any attempted intubations of children younger than 18 years. The medical records were reviewed to describe the intubation process, demographics, clinical features and outcomes. A total of 110,000 patients visited our emergency department during the study period. Ninety-one of them (1/1300) were intubated. The median age was 2 years, (F/M: 1) and 25 patients were younger than 12 months. Respiratory failure was the most common indication for intubation (42%), followed by status epilepticus (26%) and sepsis-shock (16%). Mortality was associated with prolonged chest compression (more than 10 minute). A poor outcome was associated with sepsis-shock and cardiac diseases; however, better outcomes were associated with status epilepticus (p<0.001). The first attempt success (FAS) was achieved in 60/91 (66%) patients and the FAS rate was also higher in younger patients (p=0.002). The discharge rate of all intubated patients in our study was sixty-four percent. Pediatric residents performed the majority of intubations. A higher FAS rate was associated with younger patients. Favorable outcomes were directly related to duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and main diagnosis.