Circulation 94,429 • Volume 26, No. 2 • Fall 2011   Issue PDF

UVA Launches Difficult Intubation Label

Geraldine Syverud, CRNA

To the Editor

intubation labelI would like to share a practice recently adopted by the University of Virginia to assist health care providers to identify intubated patients who experienced a difficult intubation. When a difficult intubation is encountered, a bright orange sticker labeled “difficult intubation” is placed circumferentially around the endotracheal tube, below the connector—a literal “red flag.” This alerts the caregivers involved in extubation of the patient that reintubation, if necessary, would possibly require special equipment in order to be successful. This avoids any miscommunication among health care providers regarding the airway management history.

Geraldine Syverud, CRNA
Charlottesville, VA