CCS25: Airways

Critical Care Summit is a biennial Australasian conference, aimed at providing targeted education and engagement for critical care practitioners, including paramedics, nurses, and emergency and retrieval physicians. The Critical Care Summit 2025 (CCS25) was hosted in Melbourne (May).

Conference theme: Mastering the essentials

Paediatric prehospital airway management

Presented by: Elliot Long, Emergency consultant, The Royal Children’s Hospital

Using a case as a springboard, we will discuss the physiological, situational, and anatomical killers that can make emergency airway management in children dangerous, and how to avoid them.

In this session, Elliot will explore:

• Advanced techniques for securing and managing the paediatric airway
• Strategies for high-risk and difficult airway scenarios
• The latest evidence-based approaches to optimise patient outcomes

Paediatric airway management presents unique challenges, requiring precision, confidence, and expert decision-making under pressure. Whether you’re a new or established paramedic, Elliot’s presentation will elevate your understanding and skills.

Surgical Airway: Failure or success

Presented by: Carly Bearder, MICA Paramedic, Ambulance Victoria

Historically, the surgical airway has been viewed as a last resort - a sign of failed intubation. In this session, Carly challenges that perspective, proposing a shift in mindset: viewing the surgical airway not as a failure, but as a deliberate and vital step toward achieving a safe and secure airway in the context of difficult airway management.

This session will delve into the clinical decision-making process surrounding surgical airways:

• When are they indicated?
• When are they needed but not performed?
• What clinical and cognitive barriers may prevent their timely execution?

Carly will also explore the concept of a primary surgical airway, and the challenges critical care paramedics have to face when deciding to perform a surgical airway as the primary airway intervention.

Moderated by: Dr Ben Meadley, Director, Paramedicine Ambulance Victoria

Presenter Biographies:

• Elliot Long: Associate Professor Elliot is a paediatric emergency physician at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Sepsis Team Leader at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and the Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) network lead for the Australian and New Zealand Emergency Department Airway Registry (ANZEDAR). He has two kids and occasionally acts like one.
• Carly Bearder: Carly is an Intensive Care Paramedic, beginning her career with Ambulance Victoria in 2011. When she’s not searching for warmer climates or exploring new areas, she also works as a Teaching Associate with Monash University and a Registered Nurse. She has a keen interest in improving the delivery of prehospital care through continued learning, self-development, research, and fostering a positive teamwork culture. Passionate about both environmental and human health, Carly is especially curious as to how we can better support both within the prehospital setting - not only to enhance performance in dynamic environments, but also to enjoy a healthier life beyond the uniform.