Abstract
Introduction. Endotracheal intubation (ETI) may be a procedure necessary to perform by a nurse in the event of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Its correct execution improves the course and organization of a rescue operation and contributes to increased self-confidence in stressful situations.
Aim. Assessment of the effectiveness of endotracheal intubation among system nurses under simulated conditions.
Material and methods. A pilot study of prospective observational simulation study using advanced evaluation tools for intubation phantom (BT-CSIE, Q’ty model) with a tablet (PC-1EA), IntuBrite laryngoscope with curved handle. The results were analyzed with Statistica PL 12.0 and Microsoft Office Excel 2016, using the Student’s t and chi-square tests.
Results. Nurses with specialization intubated twice faster (30.4 s) than nurses during specialization (68.8 s) or without specialization (67.5 s). The shortest time of inserting an endotracheal tube demonstrated subjects with over 10 years of work experience (37.0 s). The mean pressure on the incisors during the procedure was 10.9 N. Ventilation with an average tidal volume of 543 cm3 (p=0.024) was in line with the recommendations of the European Rescue Council (ERC).
Conclusions. Work seniority and specialization significantly affected the effectiveness of the intubation procedure in time, while maintaining the recommended frequency and volume of mechanical ventilations.