A survey of Canadian respiratory therapists working in the COVID-19 pandemic: The RRT perspective.

Introduction: Registered respiratory therapists (RRTs) are heavily involved in the care of individuals infected with COVID-19. The experiences and challenges specific to the RRT profession during the pandemic have not been qualified and the aim of this study is to bridge that gap.

Methods: With institutional ethics approval, a cross-sectional survey was created through the survey software Redcap and made available online from 29 May to 6 July 2020.

An in vitro assessment of light intensity provided during direct laryngeal visualization by videolaryngoscopes with Macintosh geometry blades.

Background: Adequate illumination of the larynx is needed during laryngoscopy to facilitate tracheal intubation. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has established a minimum light intensity for direct laryngoscopy (DL) of over 500 lux for at least ten minutes, but no such standard exists for Macintosh geometry videolaryngoscope (Mac-VL) blades, which allow for both direct or indirect (videoscopic) viewing of the larynx. Using in situ bench and in vitro testing in a human cadaver, we determined illumination and luminance values delivered by various Mac-VLs and compared these with published minimum lighting benchmarks as well as a reference direct laryngoscope.

Factors associated with rebound pain after peripheral nerve block for ambulatory surgery.

Background: Rebound pain is a common, yet under-recognised acute increase in pain severity after a peripheral nerve block (PNB) has receded, typically manifesting within 24 h after the block was performed. This retrospective cohort study investigated the incidence and factors associated with rebound pain in patients who received a PNB for ambulatory surgery.

Methods: Ambulatory surgery patients who received a preoperative PNB between March 2017 and February 2019 were included.

Factors Associated With Failure of Spinal Anesthetic: An 8-Year Retrospective Analysis of Patients Undergoing Elective Hip and Knee Joint Arthroplasty.

The primary outcome of this 8-year retrospective review was the failure of spinal anesthetic (SA) in elective hip and knee joint arthroplasty surgery. Of 3542 SAs, a total of 135 failures were identified (3.8%).

The incidence, success rate, and complications of awake tracheal intubation in 1,554 patients over 12 years: an historical cohort study.

Purpose: Awake tracheal intubation is one recommended option to address select situations in the management of a patient with an anticipated difficult airway. A scarcity of data exists on how often awake intubation is performed or whether its use is changing over time, particularly with the increasingly widespread availability of video laryngoscopy. This retrospective database review was undertaken to determine the incidence, success, and complications of awake intubation and the incidence of other tracheal intubation techniques in the operating room over a 12-yr period (2002-2013) at our institution.

Illumination of bulb-on-blade laryngoscopes in the out-of-hospital setting.

Objectives: To determine what percentage of out-of-hospital laryngoscopes meet a predetermined minimal illumination criterion and what factors may be altered to improve illumination.

Methods: This was an observational study of the illumination of laryngoscopes currently in use by the Emergency Health Services of Nova Scotia. Each laryngoscope was measured at baseline.