Study Background
Tracheal intubation is a critical lifesaving intervention in emergency medicine, but traumatic or failed intubation attempts can lead to significant morbidity. Awake intubation—where patients remain conscious, often receiving topical anesthesia and minimal sedation—is a specialized technique used to manage predicted difficult airways or mitigate physiologic instability. While the technique is well established in anesthesiology, its practice and outcomes when performed by emergency physicians have been less characterized. This is especially pertinent in tertiary-care emergency departments (EDs) managing complex cases with high-risk airway scenarios. Understanding the incidence, success rates, and adverse event profile of emergency physician-performed awake intubations can inform clinical protocols and improve patient safety.
