4th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and The Difficult Airway Society: Major Complications of Airway Management in the United Kingdom: Report and Findings

Abstract

While it is generally accepted that airway management may sometimes be problematic and that complications occur, it was not known how frequently these occur or the nature of the events. NAP4 sets out to address this. The 4th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Difficult Airway Society (NAP4) was designed to answer the questions; ■ What types of airway device are used during anaesthesia and how often? ■ How often do major complications, leading to serious harm, occur in association with airway management in anaesthesia, in the intensive care units and in the emergency departments of the UK? ■ What is the nature of these events and what can we learn from them, in order to reduce their frequency and consequences?