Chandigarh: Airway management procedures for trauma patients in focus at PGIMER

The workshop brought together around 70 doctors from Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh; Patiala, Delhi, Rishikesh, Bathinda and Srinagar

To address the need for providing oxygen to trauma victims on arrival at hospital, the department of anesthesia and intensive care at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) conducted a one-day workshop on the topic “Airways in trauma emergency” on Sunday.

Dr Nidhi Bhatia from the department of anesthesia and intensive care, PGIMER, Chandigarh, demonstrated the airway procedure using supraglottic device. (HT Photo)

The workshop brought together around 70 doctors from Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH-32), Patiala, Delhi, Rishikesh, Bathinda and Srinagar. It highlighted different procedures for airway management in critical polytrauma cases in which a patient’s wind channel gets blocked, especially when the head, neck and cervical spine get injured. These procedures included mask ventilation, intubation, fibre optic intubation, emergency front-of-neck access and the use of supraglottic device.

In intubation, a tube is inserted into a patient’s airway via mouth or nose to help him breath. In emergency front-of-neck access, a tube is inserted into trachea via neck to provide oxygen. This technique is helpful in cases in which a patient suffers facial injury. In fibre optic intubation, endoscopy is used to insert the tube inside the airway.

Dr Pankaj Kundra from JIPMER, Puducherry, said while performing airway procedures, it is important that ample amount of oxygen is provided to the patient.