TITLE:
Tracheal Intubation Difficulties: Systematic Literature Review
AUTHORS:
Vanessa Ferreira Dias Duarte da Costa, Mariana Ronchesel Barauna, Camila dos Santos Leite, Oscar César Pires
KEYWORDS:
Airway, Difficult Intubation, Complications
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.10 No.5,
May
25,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: Tracheal intubation is a common procedure in medical practice, being performed mainly in surgical centers and emergencies in trauma patients. Objective: This systematic literature review aims to understand the main difficulties and complications related to tracheal intubation. Methods: Systematic literature review, conducted in the Virtual Health Library databases between 2016 and 2021, restricted to articles in English and Portuguese with the descriptors: Airway, Difficult intubation, and Complications. After reading the abstracts, 34 articles were found, and, after reading them, 9 articles were selected. Results: This review analyzed 9 scientific studies that rigorously met the previously established characteristics in the sample selection. The synthesis included the following aspects (author/year of publication, article title, objective, type of study, and database. Discussion: Several factors that influence the success of intubation were identified, such as technical, professional, and patient issues. In addition, measures to minimize the risks involving the procedure were highlighted. Conclusion: Tracheal intubation is a common procedure in surgical centers and emergencies. However, its risks, while low, should not be ignored. Unsuccessful procedures can occur and have consequences for the patient, such as trauma to the upper airway.