Table 1

Neonatal airway management and adjuncts used

Number of units (%)
Standard airway Use of muscle relaxants for every intubation?
 Yes36 (61%)
 No23 (39%)
Reasons for non-routine use muscle relaxants?
 Elective intubation23 (100%)
Type of muscle relaxant
 Suxamethonium42 (71%)
 Atracurium10 (17%)
 Vecuronium4 (7%)
 Atracurium or pancuronium2 (3%)
 Suxamethonium or pancuronium1 (2%)
Type of sedation
 Analgesia (fentanyl or morphine)48 (81%)
 Propofol6 (10%)
 Midazolam5 (9%)
Limitation of intubation attempts
 Exact limit=231 (53%)
 Exact limit=330 (51%)
Oropharyngeal airway use for airway management on neonatal intensive care unit30 (51%)
ETCO2
 Colour-change ETCO2 for ETT placement confirmation39 (66%)
 Routine use of colour-change ETCO220 (34%)
 Non-routine use of colour-change ETCO2 (used if poor HR/SaO2 postintubation or lack of confidence in ETT position)19 (32%)
Difficult airway
Possession of a difficult airway kit40 (68%)
Possession of a departmental CICV algorithm?4 (7%)
Use of LMA if in CICV scenario9 (15%)
  • CICV, cannot intubate and cannot ventilate; ETCO2, End tidal carbon dioxide; LMA, laryngeal mask airway; SaO2, oxygen saturations.