Presented by Dr Simon Robertson

Presentation Synopsis: Airway management in retrieval work obviously to a heterogenous group of patients. Three high risk scenarios are considered:

The medical patient with severe respiratory failure and a difficult airway

a.Optimising oxygenation peri-airway management with ventilation and nasal oxygenation b.Use of the vortex system to avoid delay in surgical airway

The patient with blunt airway injury

a.Achievement of optimum intubating conditions

The patient with penetrating neck trauma

a.Use of a double set-up – be ready for front-of-neck-access b.Rapid evolution to definitive airway without ventilation

Bio: Simon Robertson is an anaesthetist and intensivist, and a senior staff specialist at Canberra hospital. Simon is the lead paediatric anaesthetist and deputy director of intensive care. Simon has been involved in pre-hospital and retrieval work since 1998.