6186 How confident are medical staff with paediatric airway skills?

Objectives The ability to maintain a clear airway is a key skill for doctors working in the emergency department. This is particularly true in children where airway compromise is a common feature of many paediatric emergency situations. Intubation in the paediatric emergency department (ED) is a low frequency, high-risk procedure. Paediatric cases account for only 5% of all ED intubations and complications are common.¹ ² Lack of confidence in ability may lead to sub-optimal airway care. This study investigates how confident doctors working in a tertiary paediatric department are with their airway skills. Objectives To determine confidence in instigating airway protection measures To determine differences in confidence with airway skills between paediatric and emergency medicine (EM) trainees Methods A questionnaire was distributed electronically to medical working within a busy tertiary emergency department. Data regarding confidence in tilization of airway protection skills was evaluated. Confidence levels between EM and Paeds were compared. Results 75 respondents answered the questionnaire with 40 (53.3%) from a paediatric training background compared to 34 (45.3%) from a primary emergency medicine training background. The remaining respondent was not in training. Table 1 demonstrates confidence in use of airway skills in clinical practice. Conclusion This study reveals differences in confidence for recommended airway skills, both for the skills themselves and between different educational backgrounds. There was no statistically significant difference in confidence between EM and Paediatric trainees for simple airway manoeuvres and the complex skill of cricothyrotomy (front-of-neck access). However, Paediatric trainees reported higher rates of confidence with both direct and video-assisted laryngoscopy that was statistically significant. This has implications for clinical practice. Identifying ways to support less confident staff through supportive and educational means is recommended. References Ghedina, et al. Emerg Med Australas, 2020. Long, et al. Paediatr Anaesth, 2014.