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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05055401

Airway Management Skills Amongst Anesthesia Providers

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency and proficiency of three common airway management techniques amongst among anesthesia providers who maintain airway management privileges in our health system.

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Key information

Conditions

Airway Management

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Prisma Health

Greenville, South Carolina, 29605, United States

About this study

Airway management may take place in a variety of settings with varying degrees of urgency, ranging from performance for elective operative procedures to life-threatening emergencies. An appropriate psychomotor skill set is needed to perform the procedures utilized for airway management, and the time required to do so may impact patient outcomes. Prolonged periods of apnea and accompanying hypoxia can lead to brain damage or death. This research is designed to evaluate the proficiency of anesthesia providers who are responsible for practicing airway management in hospitals or health systems in the United States, including Anesthesiologists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Anesthesiology Assistants. We are attempting to establish a baseline level of proficiency by quantifying the time it takes to achieve successful airway management and the number of attempts required to do so utilizing a high fidelity manikin programmed to simulate various physiological conditions. This baseline information could then be used to manage the decisions made by hospitals or health systems related to airway management in the future, or to redefine the policies and procedures established for performing these procedures.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Informed consent is obtained from the participant
  • Participants are presently employed as an anesthesiologist (previously completed an anesthesiology residency), CRNA or AA at a participating institution
  • Participants have active airway management privileges with their institution

Exclusion criteria

  • Participants are not employed by their institution
  • Refusal of the participant to sign a consent

Treatment and study plan

Direct Laryngoscopy

Procedure

The participant will perform a direct laryngoscopy on a Laerdal SimMan 3G under healthy conditions and under limited cervical range of motion.

Laryngeal Mask Airways

Procedure

The participant will perform LMA placement on a Laerdal SimMan 3G under healthy conditions and under full tongue edema.

Video Laryngoscopy

Procedure

The participant will perform video laryngoscopy on a Laerdal SimMan 3G under healthy conditions and under half tongue edema with pharyngeal obstruction.

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Attempts to Achieve Successful Airway Management

    Time frame: Immediate Post-Procedure

    A successful attempt for any of the three procedures will be documented when a participant attaches a bag/valve and attempts a ventilation resulting in the presence of end-tidal carbon dioxide (which will be displayed when the device is properly placed). Failed attempts for any of the three procedures will be documented when a participant attaches a bag/valve device and attempts ventilation for purposes of confirming the presence of end-tidal carbon dioxide (which will not be displayed if the device is improperly placed). Three sequential failed attempts will result in a failure to achieve successful airway management.

  2. Time Required to Achieve Successful Airway Management

    Time frame: Immediate Post-Procedure

    Time will be measured manually via stopwatch. Time measurement for all three procedures will begin when the participant picks up the laryngoscope, video laryngoscope, or LMA having signaled his/her intention to begin the procedure. Time measurement will end upon detection of end-tidal carbon dioxide by the mannikin as evidenced on a standard patient monitor connected to the mannikin for this purpose. Time measurement will continue during failed attempts and subsequent efforts to successfully perform the procedure. Time measurement will be stopped upon successful end-tidal carbon dioxide measurement, three sequential failed attempts to perform a procedure, or after a total of five minutes have passed.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Prisma Health-Upstate

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Proficiency and Efficiency of Airway Management Skills Amongst Anesthesia Providers: A Multicenter Baseline Assessment

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Sep 24, 2021
Registry last updated
Jun 2, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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