Teaching Tracheal Intubation to Emergency Medical Technicians

Abstract

  Tracheal intubation performed by emergency medical technicians (EMTs) was accepted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and hospital training was started. Twelve EMTs completed training in Osaka Rosai Hospital. However, airway control and face mask ventilation using an anesthesia machine tended not to be performed well. They could not use a laryngoscope well, since they fell into bad habits from prior training using a mannequin for simulation. The rate of success of tracheal intubation was 92±6%, though the level of skill varied among individuals. However, there was not a significant correlation between age and rate of success. As for complications, the incidence of sore throat was 12.5% and of hoarseness, 19.1%. Instructors must understand the importance of training EMTs in tracheal intubation, and should recognize that tracheal intubation training is part of general airway control training. It is important that we assure competence in facemask ventilation first and then carefully teach tracheal intubation techniques to avoid complications.