Propofol Might Be Better than Midazolam for ED Procedural Sedation

Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH   In a retrospective cohort study, propofol was more effective than midazolam and just as safe.   Propofol and midazolam are each commonly used for procedural sedation in the emergency department (ED). To compare their efficacy and safety, investigators reviewed a convenience sample of procedural sedations performed at five... Read more..

2016 Airway Article of the Year Award Winner Announced

  Airway Management Education Center, the creators of The Difficult Airway Course™, hosted the fifth annual “Airway Article of the Year” award show as a live webinar on December 15, 2016.  Webinar host, Calvin Brown III, MD presented three articles as finalists.  The nominees were selected from among all of the... Read more..

Crank Up the Oxygen and Skip the Bag-Valve-Mask

Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH   High-flow oxygen through a nonrebreather mask is noninferior to bag-valve-mask for preoxygenation.   Preoxygenation is a key step in rapid sequence intubation and involves allowing the patient to breath spontaneously with supplemental oxygen. The classic method, thought to achieve the highest alveolar oxygen concentration, is to use a... Read more..

Ketamine vs Etomidate for Rapid Sequence Intubation

Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH   An observational study suggests that these two agents are similarly safe but sends a possibly worrisome signal.   Several studies have sought — and failed to find — evidence that etomidate is bad for patients due to the adrenal suppression it is known to cause (NEJM... Read more..