Department of Anesthesiology Code Pager and Airway ManagementGuideline
1) Anesthesia Code Pager
a) A responding anesthesia provider (resident, CRNA, AA, or attending) is a required member of the UCH code team
b) A provider must carry the assigned UCH code pager and respond to code calls at all times
* this pager cannot be forwarded or reassigned by the hospital operator, in event of loss, please contact the operator and come to the switch board services office (Leprino 715) for replacement
c) Assigned order of preference for anesthesia care providers is listed below
1) STICU or CTICU Anesthesia Resident (day and overnight)
2) If above not available, Acute Pain Resident (day) and C1 Resident/CRNA/AA(night) – specific
assignment will be made by C1 call attending
3) C1 A/B call attending (if Resident/CRNA/AA are unable to respond)
d) Code responder should take one of the “airway boxes” to the code as they contain intubation medications and difficult airway equipment
* see attached page for “airway box” location and information
2) Airway Consults
a) The anesthesia provider pager also serves as the "anesthesia airway consult pager"
b)This number (303-266-0633) isadvertised in each of the ICUs and on Amion.com
c) The airway consult pager is available only for non-emergency, elective and urgent intubations and only for patients currently located in the ED or an ICU
Emergency intubations (except as below) and floor intubations will be covered by the code team and the attending MICU intensivist
d) The provider carrying the pager will be instructed to first call the STICU/CTICU/BurnICU anesthesia intensivist for attending coverage and second to call the anesthesia charge/call attending if no anesthesia intensivist is in-house or on service
e) A direct cell number (85920) for the anesthesia charge/call attending is available to be used for emergency back-up by attending ICU intensivists and EM physicians
3) Emergency Intubations in the STICU, CTICU, and BurnICU
a) Anesthesia residents on an ICU rotation cover emergency intubations in the STICU, CTICU, and BurnICU
b) Similar to the airway consult guideline above, residents will be instructed to first call the SICU or CTICUanesthesia intensivist for attending coverage and second to call the anesthesia charge/call attending if no anesthesia intensivist is in-house or on service
c) If the anesthesia call attending is not immediately available due to other urgent clinical care, a code call will be activated and the MICU intensivist will provide attending coverage
Department of Anesthesia Airway Boxes
Airway boxes should be utilized when responding to calls for airway management and code calls.
1) Location – airway boxes are stored in the following locations
1) OR Control Room – on top of file cabinet in OR Control Room
2) PreOp – next to code cart, across from Bay #3
3) PostOp – next to code cart, under main status boards and across from Bay #67
4) BICU – on top of file cabinet, behind computer terminals
5) CTICU – on top of file cabinet, behind computer terminals
6) STICU – on top of code cart in the north resident work area
2) Contents – airway boxes include the following contents
Medications – Etomidate, Succinylcholine, Rocuronium, Phenylephrine, Atropine
Airway Supplies – Mac 3/4 blades, Miller 2/3 blades, 2 handles, LMA 3/4/5, nasal trumpets, oral airways, bougie, ETT 5.0-9.0, ETT stylets
* all Airway boxes except the PreOp box contain portable McGrath video laryngoscopes
* each of the UCH ICUs owns a video laryngoscope (CMAC or glidescope) and can be readily available at the bedside if requested from the ICU charge nurse
3) Upkeep
Airway boxes will be checked daily by our Anesthesia Technician team to verify contents and ensure integrity of the pull-tap lock
When the box is utilized for patient care, it is the responsibility of the Resident/CRNA/AA/Attending user to bring the airway box to the Lead Anesthesia Tech for restocking
The anesthesia tech team will replace the airway supplies and subsequently take the box to pharmacy for replacement of the medications