Abstract

 

 

Objectives: We performed a survey questionnaire for the year 2004 on teaching and training of residents in airway management (AM) at anesthesia departments in Austria to assess their residency training in AM techniques.

 

Mailing Procedure and Responses: The questionnaire forms were mailed to all 124 clinical directors of the anesthesia departments at public hospitals in Austria; the response rate was 66 percent.

 

Main Results: During the year 2004, 60 of the participating departments educated anesthesia residents and their responses were evaluated. Structured training programs for advanced AM techniques, including at least  flexible bronchoscopy-assisted tracheal intubation, with airway rotations for at least one month were provided in 8 percent. Traditional training methods for advanced AM techniques using training opportunities in on variably assigned patients were provided in 72 percent; regular training and occasional training was offered in 32 and 40 percent, respectively. In 20 percent, AM training was restricted to face-mask ventilation, use of laryngeal mask airways, and conventional laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. Training of AM techniques on airway models was provided in 48 percent and training of difficult airway scenarios on simulation systems was offered in 10 percent. 

 

Conclusions: We demonstrated that there is much room for improvements in residency training in AM techniques at anesthesia departments in Austria. Benchmarking with the results of this survey and refining departmental directives may contribute to improved residency training.  

 

 

Introduction