Tracheal Extubation Essay

All those who are intubated must be extubated! Anaesthesia is a science but learned and practiced as an art. Contrary to its traditional image, functions of modern day anaesthesiologist expands far beyond the boundaries of anaesthetizing and de-anaesthetizing a particular patient. Taking utmost care of the patient and safeguarding the patient from possible untoward events during anaesthesia and surgery is the supreme duty of the anaesthesiologist apart from optimal pain relief to the patient and providing comfort to the surgeon. Tracheal extubation is popularly defined as discontinuation of artificial airway when the indications for its placement like for airway obstruction, protection of airway, suctioning, ventilator failure and hypoxemia no longer exist. Universally the primary consideration in anaesthesia is “Safety”. While the techniques of Induction and Intubation enjoyed more attention and emphasis throughout the …show more content…
Analysis of the American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) Closed Claims database has demonstrated that although outcomes related to airway complications at the time of intubation have been improving over the last 20 years, the same does not hold true for extubation. As was made evident in the recent Fourth National Audit Project (NAP4) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in the United Kingdom, one third of major complications of airway management occurred at extubation or in the recovery room, with a mortality rate of 5%.[1]Data such as these have led to increased recognition for the need to develop strategies for safe and successful extubation. Thanks to the ever increasing spectrum of modern day drugs, multiple choices are available to anaesthesiologists to conduct extubations more neatly with minimum