Formation of an Airway Lead Network: an essential patient safety initiative

Paul A Baker; Elizabeth C Behringer; Jessica Feinleib; Lorraine J Foley; Jarrod Mosier; Patricia Roth; Ashutosh Wali; Ellen P O'Sullivan

doi:10.1016/j.bja.2021.11.013

Formation of an Airway Lead Network: an essential patient safety initiative

Br J Anaesth. 2022 Feb;128(2):225-229. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2021.11.013. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Authors

Paul A Baker¹, Elizabeth C Behringer², Jessica Feinleib³, Lorraine J Foley⁴, Jarrod Mosier⁵, Patricia Roth⁶, Ashutosh Wali⁷, Ellen P O'Sullivan⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Paediatric Anaesthesia Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: paul@airwayskills.co.nz.
² Division of Cardiovascular Surgery and Critical Care, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ Veterans Administration Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA; Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
⁴ Tufts School of Medicine and Shields Ambulatory Surgery Center, Boston, MA, USA.
⁵ Department of Emergency Medicine and Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA.
⁶ Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
⁷ Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Obstetric/Gynecologic Anesthesia, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
⁸ Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

PMID: 34893313
DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2021.11.013

Abstract

We outline the history, implementation and clinical impact of the formation of an Airway Lead Network. Although recommendations to improve patient safety in airway management are published and revised regularly, uniform implementation of such guidelines are applied sporadically throughout the hospital and prehospital settings. The primary roles of an Airway Lead are to ensure supply, quality and storage of airway equipment, promote the use of current practice guidelines as well as the organisation of training and audits. Locally, the Airway Lead may chair a multi-disciplinary airway committee within their organisation; an Airway Lead Network enables Airway Leads to share common problems and solutions to promote optimal airway management on a national level. Support from governing bodies is an essential part of this structure.

Keywords: airway lead; airway management; continuing medical education; patient safety; quality assurance.

Publication types

Editorial

MeSH terms

Airway Management / instrumentation
Airway Management / standards*
Hospitals
Humans
Patient Safety*
Practice Guidelines as Topic*