airway – Emergency Medicine Education

Ketamine or Etomidate for Induction for Intubation on critically ill Patients

January 5, 2026January 5, 2026Pourmand

There remains significant controversy regarding the optimal induction agent for rapid sequence intubation (RSI), particularly when comparing etomidate and ketamine. Concerns surrounding etomidate center on its potential to cause transient adrenal suppression, which has raised questions about possible harm in critically ill patients. However, it is unclear whether this theoretical risk translates into meaningful clinical […]

GCS less than 9, Intubate or Not?

March 7, 2024March 7, 2024Pourmand

In November 2023, JAMA published an article on noninvasive airway management among patients with depressed consciousness. The watch-and-wait approach, involving close monitoring for individuals with traditional GCS scores <9 and suspected acute poisoning, demonstrated positive outcomes. Link to article

Intubation during cardiac arrest!

March 10, 2019March 10, 2019Pourmand

We know interruptions during cardiac arrest will have a worse outcome but intubation during a cardiac arrest for several reasons decreased survival rate among these patients. JAMA study measured good functional outcome among patients were intubated during the first 15 minutes and who were not intubated within the first 15 minutes! JAMA Full text

Checklist for Emergency Intubation in Trauma Patient

September 3, 2015September 3, 2015Pourmand

AEM published “A Preprocedural Checklist Improves the Safety of Emergency Department Intubation of Trauma Patients” in July. This is a prospective, pre-post intubation study on 141 trauma

Pre-Oxygenation, Works or Does not Work!

May 5, 2015May 5, 2015Pourmand

Just published regarding high-flow nasal cannula oxygenation, and I just published last Post. High-flow nasal cannula oxygen during endotracheal intubation in hypoxemic patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial,

Just Wait to Pre-oxygenate!

May 3, 2015Pourmand

I believe sometimes we are in rush for no reason. Patient with hypoxia and no reserve requires some oxygen to prevent hypoxia during intubation, DSI vs RSI. I am fan of DSI to buy some time to see how we could assist with oxygenation before definitive airway intervention.