Cardiovascular instability ‘common’ after tracheal intubation
Researchers have assessed adverse events associated with the procedure across 29 countries
Major adverse events occur in nearly half of critically ill patients undergoing tracheal intubation, with cardiovascular instability being the single most common one, a global study reveals.
The INTUBE study team evaluated the incidence and nature of adverse peri-intubation events and assessed current practice of intubation across 197 sites in 29 countries.
The observational study used a convenience sample of nearly 3000 critically ill patients (median age 63, 63% male) undergoing tracheal intubation in wards, ICUs or emergency departments.
The main reason for intubation in the cohort was respiratory failure (52%), followed by neurological impairment (31%) and cardiovascular instability (9.4%), the authors reported in JAMA.
