“ The most savage controversies are about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way.”
— Bertrand Russell
Although the number of anesthesiologists with a dedicated trauma-based practice is very small, the majority of anesthesiologists can still encounter trauma patients requiring urgent airway management. Whether we are providing primary coverage in the emergency department (ED), backing up the ED staff for difficult or failed intubations or taking the patient to the operating room, these patients can present many challenges. Hemodynamic instability, time pressure, lack of patient cooperation, risk of aspiration, need for cervical spine protection and facial injuries frequently contribute to the difficulty of airway management. The ASA Difficult Airway Algorithm continues to serve as a starting point for trauma airway management, but may require modifications as outlined by William Wilson, M.D. in a previous edition of the ASA NEWSLETTER.1 Such strategy differs from...