Patients undergoing surgery at Musgrove Park Hospital are set to benefit from enhanced safety as specialist airway equipment has been introduced into every operating theatre.
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has invested in additional video laryngoscopes – devices used by anaesthetists when placing breathing tubes prior to surgery and other procedures requiring anaesthesia.
While the technology has been available in parts of the hospital for a number of years, every operating theatre now has access to the equipment, helping clinical teams respond more quickly and safely when managing a patient’s airway.
The change follows national guidance from the Difficult Airway Society which recommends video laryngoscopes as the first-choice equipment for intubation, a procedure where a tube is placed into a patient’s airway to support breathing.
Dr Kate Reeve, a consultant anaesthetist and Musgrove’s airway lead, said: “We are bringing all the essential safety equipment directly into the areas where anaesthesia takes place, removing the potential for delay if it must be retrieved from elsewhere during an emergency.”
The equipment will play an especially important role in the hospital’s new surgical centre ensuring every operating theatre has immediate access to the same high-quality airway equipment regardless of location.
The new video laryngoscopes also improve communication between members of the theatre team by displaying a clear view of the airway on a large screen visible to everyone involved in the procedure.
“One of the biggest benefits is team communication,” added Dr Reeve. “Our operating department practitioners, anaesthetic nurses, and other colleagues assisting can all see exactly what is happening with the airway.
“Ensuring that all members of the team can see the airway view in real time is a significant patient‑safety benefit.”
PHOTO: Colleagues from the Day Surgery Centre at Musgrove with two video laryngoscopes.
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