In May 2023, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital launched a first-of-its-kind program, with educational support from faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, to help fill the growing need for first responders in Colorado.
University of Colorado Co-Leads Multicenter Randomized Trial Identifying Method of Emergency Intubation Preoxygenation to Decrease Risk of Hypoxemia and Cardiac Arrest
In current clinical care, most critically ill adults undergoing emergency tracheal intubation receive preoxygenation through an oxygen mask. Administering supplemental oxygen to patients prior to the start of an intubation procedure increases the oxygen content in the patient’s lungs and decreases the risk of hypoxemia, low levels of oxygen in the blood. However, hypoxemia occurs during 10% to 20% of tracheal intubations in the emergency department or intensive care unit and may lead to cardiac arrest and death.