anaesthetic & critical care studies summaries

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Protocol v4.1 19/06/2025
Rotherham Principal Investigator: Dr Susie Robinson
Research team member: Cheryl Graham

research topic:

Airway device in hospital cardiac arrest

trial groups:

Intervention: Supraglotic airway device
Control: Tracheal intubation

inclusion criteria:

• Inpatient (not outpatient or visitors) for whom has had a 2222 call and is an in-hospital cardiac arrest
  
• A clinician present who could undertake either tracheal intubation or supraglotic airway device placement
  
• Patient believed to be over 18 years of age (visually assumed)
  
• Receiving resuscitation and requires advanced airway management

 

exclusion criteria:

• Outside of hospital arrests arriving in ongoing cardiac arrest
  
• Patients already tracheally intubated at time of eligibility assessment
  
• Patients with functioning tracheostomy
  
• Patients known to be pregnant (this can be based on what is visually obvious rather than any confirmed negative tests)
   
  

randomisation:

Patients eligible for AIRWAYS-3  can be randomised straight away without consent required at the time of randomisation.
An anaesthetist attending the 2222 call will confirm they believe the patient to be eligible and randomise with a one click web application (save it to your home screen for use even offline).

running the intervention:

If randomised to SGA device: and SGA in place, leave in situ. If needs placing, two attempts at SGA should be made. If unable to place after two attempts can treat as clinician feels indicated.
If randomised to tracheal intubation: even if has SGA in situ, two attempts at intubation should be made. If unable to place after two attempts can treat as clinician feels indicated.

If successful, the randomised intervention should be used until resuscitation efforts cease or return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is achieved for >20 minutes, at which point further management will proceed as dictated by the treating clinician.
Surviving patients will then be followed up by the research team.

eligibility and randomisation training:

To randomise patients, a staff member must have completed study specific training, and be on the training log.