Patient Safety Alert:foreign body aspiration during intubation and ventilation

The National Patient Safety Alert on the risk of foreign body aspiration during intubation, advanced airway management or ventilation, has been issued and can be accessed via the following link

The most common types of foreign bodies identified in incident reports were transparent backing plastic from electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes and plastic caps of unclear origin.

The alert asks providers to reduce this risk by:

1. purchasing safer alternative equipment without loose and transparent parts.
2. develop or amend local protocols to ensure pre-prepared intubation and advanced airway management devices are covered or protected until use
3. and that the ends of reusable breathing system hoses are closed between patient cases.

Thanks once again to colleagues at NHSE and NHSI for sharing this with NAMDET