Neurology ·
Airway intubation was uncommon in neurologist-staffed mobile stroke unit missions
A retrospective analysis of a prospective registry covering 3,887 mobile stroke unit dispatches in Berlin found endotracheal intubation was rare, especially during stroke dispatches. All 49 intubation attempts were successful, with first-pass success in 87.8%; the authors call for prospective research to inform training requirements.
- ETI occurred in 1.26% of 3,887 dispatches.
- Intubation was rare during stroke dispatches (0.11%).
- First-pass success was 87.8% across 49 attempts.
- Prospective studies are needed to guide training standards.
Researchers retrospectively analysed prospective mission records from a neurologist-staffed mobile stroke unit in Berlin, Germany, covering 31 August 2024 to 15 March 2026. The registry included 3,887 dispatches: 1,755 classified as stroke and 2,132 as non-stroke. The primary outcome was dispatch-based frequency of endotracheal intubation (ETI); secondary measures included supraglottic airway use, procedural success and self-reported workload after missions involving ETI.
ETI was documented in 49 dispatches (1.26%): two stroke dispatches (0.11%) and 47 non-stroke dispatches (2.20%). All attempts were successful; 43 of 49 (87.8%) succeeded on the first attempt, and none required more than two attempts. Videolaryngoscopy was used in every ETI, with capnographic confirmation in 48 (98%). Non-traumatic cardiac arrest was the most frequent indication (30 cases). Median NASA-TLX workload scores were 59.8 after ETI dispatches and 27.0 after dispatches without ETI.
The findings describe one Berlin service and do not establish the training or staffing standards needed for other MSUs. The retrospective, registry-based analysis and small number of intubations limit broader conclusions; the authors call for prospective studies.
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Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine: Airway management during missions of a neurologist-staffed mobile stroke unit: a retrospective registry study ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.