Maintaining and improving skills in fibreoptic intubation

ISRCTN ISRCTN35203543
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN35203543
Secondary identifying numbers N0265105787
Submission date
29/09/2006
Registration date
29/09/2006
Last edited
27/01/2015
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Surgery
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data
Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Dr JE Smith
Scientific

Anaesthetics
Selly Oak Hospital
Birmingham
B29 6JD
United Kingdom

Study information

Study designRandomised controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleMaintaining and improving skills in fibreoptic intubation
Study objectivesHow frequently do anaesthetists need to perform fibreoptic intubation in order to maintain or improve their endoscopy skills?
Ethics approval(s)Not provided at time of registration
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedSurgery: Anaethesia
InterventionSpecifically for research purposes.
45 consultant anaesthetists, based at University Hospital Birmingham, who have performed few or no fibreoptic intubations over the last 3 years, will be studied. Each one will perform 15 fibreoptic orotracheal intubations with a videoendoscope, in elective surgical patients, ASA groups 1 or 11, who need orotracheal intubation as part of their anaesthetic management, under the supervision of an anaesthetist experienced in the technique. Each patient will receive a standard anaesthetic induction and will be treated with isoflurane in 100% oxygen for 2-3 minutes before intubation. The instructor will give
demonstrations, advice, feedback guidance and direct assistance as necessary. The time taken for the fibrescope tip to pass from the mouth to the carina will be noted and recorded. If the oxygen saturation falls below 97% at any time, or the ECG or BP readings fall outside normal limits or if there is any cause for concern about the patient's safety or if the consultant under refresher training is unable to complete the endoscopy within 60 seconds, the instructor will take over and complete the intubation. When the first 15 endoscopies have been performed, learning curves will be constructed for each anaesthetist.

Each anaesthetist will then be randomly allocated to one of three groups. The first group of anaesthetists will perform one intubation every three months, the second group will perform one intubation per month and the third group will perform one intubation per week, again under the supervision of an experienced endoscopist, under the conditions described previously. After one year, each member of each group will then perform a further 15 intubations under the same conditions as before.

The group learning curves will be compiled and compared. The statistical analysis will be performed by Craig Ramsay, Senior Statistician, Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen and will determine which group's skills (if any) have improved, remained stable or deteriorated.
Intervention typeProcedure/Surgery
Primary outcome measureNot provided at time of registration
Secondary outcome measuresNot provided at time of registration
Overall study start date22/02/2002
Completion date22/02/2008

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupNot Specified
SexNot Specified
Target number of participants45 consultant anaesthetists
Key inclusion criteriaThe anaesthetists involved will all be consultants based at University Hospital Birmingham. They will be those who have performed few or no fibreoptic intubations over the last 3 years, but who have a strong desire to develop and maintain proficiency in this field.

The patients involved will be elective general, orthopaedic, plastic, gynaecological, ENT or maxillofacial surgical patients, ASA group 1 or 11, aged 16 to 65, who require orotracheal intubation as part of their anaesthetic management and who give informed consent.
Key exclusion criteriaPatients with morbid obesity, oesophageal reflux or expected to present difficult intubation will not be included.
Date of first enrolment22/02/2002
Date of final enrolment22/02/2008

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Selly Oak Hospital
Birmingham
B29 6JD
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

Record Provided by the NHSTCT Register - 2006 Update - Department of Health
Government

The Department of Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NL
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)20 7307 2622
Email dhmail@doh.gsi.org.uk
Website http://www.dh.gov.uk/Home/fs/en

Funders

Funder type

Hospital/treatment centre

University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust (UK)

No information available

NHS R&D Support Funding

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan