Is Your Patient in the HOV Lane? Avoid disaster after

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Slide Notes

Does your sick patient require intubation? Protecting their airway requires more than skill with the mechanics of intubation, It requires understanding the physiology of critically ill patients and how it intersects with intubation and mechanical ventilation.

The HOV mnemonic
-Hypotension
-Oxygenation (hypoxia)
-Ventilation (pH)

is a simple way to organize key concepts & skills you need when intubating a critically ill patient.

Review these slides and then ask yourself next time you intubate a sick patient, "are you driving in the HOV lane?"

Is Your Patient in the HOV Lane? Avoid disaster after intubating the critically ill patient.

Published on Dec 20, 2015

Critically ill physiology combined with endotracheal intubation can be a recipe for disaster. Focusing only on the mechanics of intubation and failing to prepare for the effects it will have is heading down a dangerous road. The HOV mnemonic -- Hemodynamics, Oxygenation, Ventilation (pH) is a simple way to organize key concepts and skills needed to intubate a sick patient safely. So be prepared, and next shift ask yourself, "is my patient in the HOV lane?"

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

In the HOV Lane

Avoiding High Speed Disaster

Resuscitation

Photo by Rosmarie Voegtli

Intubation!

before

Photo by augschburger

Be Prepared

FOR THESE COMPLICATIONS OF INTUBATION

Sick patients have a high mortality during the peri-intubation period. Endotracheal intubation can be a lifesaving procedure, but the process of intubation and the mechanics of positive pressure ventilation can negatively impact the physiology of the critically ill in three major ways:

-Hemodynamics&Hypotension
-Oxygenation (Hypoxia)
-Ventilation (pH disorders)

The ACTION PLAN
Don't turn a problem into a disaster. Decide if your patient is in one or more of these HOV lanes BEFORE you intubate and be prepared.

Hypotension

Hemodynamics

Critically ill patients are often in some form of decompensated shock.

Intubation and positive pressure ventilation can cause:

-Elevated intra-thoracic pressure
- insufficient venous return
- reduced catecholamines & loss of vascular tone.

All of which can contribute to significant hypotension.

Photo by GonchoA

Fluids

Give

The ACTION PLAN for Hypotension

PREVENT intubation-related hypotension by initiating IV fluids prior to the procedure.

Give 1-2L Normal Saline or Lactated Ringers to assess fluid responsiveness.

Summary
Isotonic fluids are a mainstay of treatment for the sick intubated and hypotensive patient. Anyone not already showing signs of hypervolemia will likely benefit from starting fluids early (prior to intubation)

Photo by Vermin Inc

Obstruction

Reduce Venous

The ACTION PLAN for Hypotension

START "low & slow" (6cc/kg and low peep)
AVOID breath stacking
REDUCE the respiratory rate

Summary
Changing from negative to positive pressure ventilation elevates intra-thoracic pressure and reduces venous return.

Avoid breath stacking and increases in intrinsic PEEP in your obstructive lung disease patients all contribute to hypotension

-

Photo by Vvillamon

Pressors

Start

The ACTION PLAN for Hypotension

Have PUSH DOSE EPI at the bedside peri-intubation.

START Vasopressors before intubation.

Summary
Sedation during intubation blunts endogenous catecholamines and reduces vascular tone.

Induction Agent

ADJUST DOSE OF

The ACTION PLAN:
for Hypotension

Summary
Reduce induction agent by 50% in shock patient.
To avoid worsening hemodynamics, use lower doses than usual, regardless of the agent used The dose of any induction agent is more important than the choice of the agent.

Photo by kevin.hackert

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Oxygenation

Hypoxia

Respiratory failure related to acute hypoxia is caused by fluid (pus, blood, edema) causing shunting of blood and hypoxemia despite 100% FiO2 inspiration.

Intubating a critically hypoxic patient can transiently worsen atelectasis and alveolar recruitment making the hypoxia worse.

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PEEP

Increase

The ACTION PLAN for Oxygenation

Assist control mode—volume ventilation

Begin with tidal volumes 6-8mL/kg & PEEP at 5cm H2O, FiO2 100%

Increase PEEP by 3-5cm H2O every 2-3minutes to achieve goal oxygen saturation >90%

LIMIT Plateau Pressure (Pplat) to
Summary
Increasing PEEP enhances alveolar ventilation and recruitment of atelectatic portions of the lung, minimizing V/Q mismatch.

Photo by wwarby

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Synchrony

Improve Patient/Ventilator

The ACTION PLAN for Oxygenation

Give your patient adequate analgesia and sedation to optimize your lung protective strategy.

An agitated patient on the vent is an over breathing, and coughing patient Attempting to breath out of sync with the vent will negate any effect increasing PEEP may have.

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Ventilation

pH & Respiratory Acidosis

So you placed your endotracheal tube successfully. Five minutes later your patient seizes, develops increasing tachycardia; followed by abrupt bradycardia and subsequent arrest.

What happened? Worsening acidemia from insufficient ventilation during and after intubation.

Was your patient tachypneic, prior to intubation? If your patient is compensating for a metabolic acidemia, then your patient is in the HOV LANE and taking away their respiratory drive just made things worse. Here's what to do:

Photo by garrettc

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Apnea

Minimize

The ACTION PLAN for Ventilation

Attempt to minimize apnea time during intubation. Should be performed by most experienced operator.

Consider NIV and pressure support during RSI.

Summary
Even with the smoothest intubation you've taken away your patient's ability to compensate for their metabolic acidosis and need to compensate for them.

Imagine sprinting a hundred yards and then being asked t hold your breath for two minutes. Now imagine the metabolic demands on your sick patient.

Photo by Claudio Accheri

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Respiratory Rate

Increase

The ACTION PLAN for Ventilation

Once intubated immediately start good ventilatory support with the BVM. Give 20-30 good breaths the first minute before switching to the ventilator.

Note your patients RR and work of breathing prior to intubation, and match that rate or better after intubation.

Check an ABG within 5 minutes of intubation.

Summary
You've minimized the apnea during the intubation. But you still have to breath for them.

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The HOV Lane

Now Your Prepared for

Protecting the airway involves more than just the mechanics of intubation: it requires an understanding of the physiology of your critically ill patient, and preparation for the common hemodynamic, oxygenation and ventilatory consequences of (what is meant to be) a lifesaving procedure.

Photo by dirkjankraan.com

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Drive Safely

Now that your ready to deal with Hypotension, Oxygenation issues, and Ventilatory related acidemia (HOV) you can "stay out of the HOV lane" and avoid turning a problem into a disaster.

Reference
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19464138

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