Intubation in the ICU: we could improve our practice

Airway management is a commonly performed procedure in the intensive care unit (ICU). Hypoxemia and cardiovascular collapse represent the initial and most serious life-threatening complications associated with difficult airway access, both in emergency intubation in the critically ill [1–4] and in planned intubations (e. g., scheduled surgery or invasive procedures) [5]. To prevent and limit the incidence of life-threatening complications following intubation, several pre-oxygenation techniques and intubation algorithms have been entertained.