A Survey of Paediatric Rapid Sequence Induction in a Department of Anaesthesia

Abstract

(1) Background: Rapid sequence induction (RSI) is carried out by anaesthetists to secure the airway promptly in patients who are at risk of aspirating gastric content during induction of anaesthesia. RSI requires variation in the paediatric population. We conducted a survey to investigate current practice of paediatric RSI by anaesthetists. (2) Methods: A descriptive, contextual, cross-sectional research design was followed. The study population consisted of all anaesthetists working in the Department of Anaesthesia at the University of the Witwatersrand. Data was collected in the form of a self-administered questionnaire. (3) Results: Of 138 questionnaires that were distributed, 126 were completed. Clinical indication for RSI was predominantly for appendicitis with peritonitis (115/124; 92.7%). Preoxygenation was performed by 95.1% of anaesthetists for children, 87% for infants and 89.4% for neonates. Cricoid pressure was used significantly more in children (56%) than in infants (20.8%) and neonates (10.3%) (p p p < 0.05). Controlled RSI with cisatracurium was the technique of choice for Tenkhoff insertion in a child with renal failure. (4) Conclusions: RSI practice for paediatric patients varied widely among anaesthetists. This may be attributed to a combination of anaesthetic experience, training in paediatric anaesthesia, and patient specific factors, along with the individualised clinical scenario’s aspiration risk. A controlled RSI technique appears to be implemented more frequently by anaesthetists with increased experience.

Keywords

• paediatric
• rapid sequence induction
• anaesthesia