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Procedural Sedation and Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI) Consensus Statement
Many patients with emergency medical conditions in emergency and critical care set- tings frequently experience treatable pain, anxiety, and critical conditions requiring immediate intervention with the possibility of the use of procedural sedation. Further- more, rapid sequence intubation (RSI) also may be required to facilitate rapid airway management. Our challenge as a group of health care professionals is to provide this care in a manner that meets the Institute of Medicine’s Six Quality Aims of safe, effective, timely, efficient, equitable, and patient centered care.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR PROCEDURAL SEDATION AND RSI IN EMERGENCY AND
CRITICAL CARE SETTINGS
Patient safety and patient centered care are top priorities.
Patient comfort is assessed and pain management provided in an equitable, timely, and efficient manner.
The primary goal of procedural sedation in emergency and critical care settings is to manage patient pain and anxiety while facilitating immediate interventional procedures.
The primary goal of RSI is to secure and maintain a definitive airway to facilitate hemodynamic stability.
Administration of sedative medications is a continuum of care.
We the undersigned agree:
1. Medications including, but not limited to, etomidate, propofol, ketamine, fen- tanyl, and midazolam are utilized by healthcare professionals to facilitate man- agement of a continuum of painful conditions. These extend from simple pain management and maintenance sedation to moderate-deep sedation for pain- ful procedures and rapid sequence intubation for airway control. Because of the myriad ways these medications might be used, it is best to focus on the goal of the intervention rather than the medication itself.
2. Procedural sedation is defined as a technique of administering sedatives or dis- sociative agents with or without analgesics to induce a state that allows the pa- tients to tolerate an unpleasant procedure while maintaining cardiorespiratory function. (American College of Emergency Physicians [ACEP] Clinical Policy for Procedural Sedation and Analgesia in the Emergency Department, Annals of Emergency Medicine 2005)
3. RSI is defined as a technique where a potent sedative or induction agent is ad- ministered virtually simultaneously with a paralyzing dose of a neuromuscular
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2 blocking agent to facilitate rapid tracheal intubation. The technique includes specific protection against aspiration of gastric contents, provides excellent ac- cess to the airway for intubation, and permits pharmacologic control of adverse responses to illness, injury, and the intubation itself. (ACEP Clinical Policy State- ment on Rapid-Sequence Intubation, October 2006, http://www.acep.org).
4. Procedural sedation medications may be administered by a registered nurse (RN) in the presence of a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or other health care professional credentialed in emergency airway management and cardiovascular support.
5. Medications for rapid sequence intubation may be administered by a RN in the presence of a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or other health care professional credentialed in emergency airway management and cardiovascu- lar support.
6. Medications for rapid sequence intubation during pre-hospital and/or inter- facility transport may be administered by a RN at the direction of a physician, ad- vanced practice registered nurse, or other health care professional credentialed in emergency airway management and cardiovascular support.
7. Administration of medications for procedural sedation or RSI by a RN is a special- ized skill that requires specific knowledge and competencies including, but not limited to:
a. Airway management and cardiovascular support.
b. The ability to recognize complications and intervene appropriately.
c. Knowledge of the legal/liability ramifications associated with administering procedural sedation, which is the responsibility of the RN by virtue of being independently licensed.
RNs administering RSI medications must possess a more advanced knowledge base and competencies. RNs performing RSI without physician presence shall require an even more advanced knowledge base and competency level.
Mechanisms to assure that knowledge and competency requirements are met and maintained are needed within the institution. Evaluation and documenta- tion of competency shall occur on a periodic basis.
7. Procedural sedation requires the presence of two licensed professionals at the bedside. One licensed professional must be a RN whose competency in proce- dural sedation has been verified. This RN may administer the medication or moni- tor the patient and must not be involved in performing the procedure. Health care professionals monitoring the patient undergoing procedural sedation must not have other responsibilities that would compromise their ability to monitor adequately the patient before, during, and after the procedure.
8. Resuscitation equipment and supplies must be age appropriate and readily available for the patient undergoing any procedure. At a minimum, equipment should include oxygen, suction, and advanced life support equipment (e.g.,
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medications, a bag-valve mask device, intubation equipment, alternative air- ways), and equipment to allow secondary confirmation of endotracheal tube placement.
9. Written policies, procedures, clinical guidelines, and protocols for procedural se- dation and RSI should be in place in the institution. These policies should be age appropriate and should include, but not be limited to:
a. Equipment and supplies
b. Mandatory education and competency validation c. Risk management
d. Quality monitoring to include patient outcomes e. Required documentation
Signed by:
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ADDENDUM
Procedural Sedation and Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI) Consensus Statement
DEFINITIONS
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is an umbrella term given to a RN who has met advanced educational and clinical practice requirements beyond the two to four years of basic nursing education required of all RNs. APRNs include nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives. Nurse practice acts vary widely among states. They define the scope of practice for APRNs within that particular state. (American Nurses Association [ANA] Nursing Facts, www.nursingworld.org)
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are master’s prepared advanced practice nurses who provide anesthetics to patients in every practice setting, and for every type of sur- gery or procedure. (http://www.aana.com)
Credentialed is to be endorsed authoritatively as having met certain requirements. A credential is an attestation of qualification, competence, or authority issued to an indi- vidual by a third party with a relevant de jure or de facto authority or assumed compe- tence to do so. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/credential)
Deep sedation/Analgesia is a drug-induced depression of consciousness during which pa- tients cannot be easily aroused but respond purposefully following repeated or painful stimulation. The ability to independently maintain ventilatory function may be impaired.
Patients may require assistance in maintaining a patent airway, and spontaneous venti- lation may be inadequate. Cardiovascular function is usually maintained. (American Society of Anesthesiologists [ASA] policy statement on Continuum of Depth of Sedation Definition of General Anesthesia and Levels of Sedation/Analgesia, Approved by ASA House of Delegates on October 13, 1999, and amended on October 27, 2004)
Dissociative agents/dissociative sedation is described as a ‘‘trancelike cataleptic state characterized by profound analgesia and amnesia, with retention of protective airway reflexes, spontaneous respirations, and cardiopulmonary stability. (American College of Emergency Physicians [ACEP] Clinical Policy for Procedural Sedation and Analgesia in the Emergency Department, Annals of Emergency Medicine 2005)
Drug assisted intubation is the use of medication by EMS personnel to facilitate endotra- cheal intubation. (Drug Assisted Intubation in the Prehospital Setting, Position Statement of the National Association of EMS Physicians, March 2001.)
General anesthesia is a drug-induced loss of consciousness during which patients are not arousable, even by painful stimulation. The ability to independently maintain ventilatory function is often impaired. Patients often require assistance in maintaining a patent air-
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way, and positive pressure ventilation may be required because of depressed sponta- neous ventilation or drug-induced depression of neuromuscular function. Cardiovascu- lar function may be impaired. (ASA policy statement on Continuum of Depth of Seda- tion Definition of General Anesthesia and Levels of Sedation/Analgesia, Approved by ASA House of Delegates on October 13, 1999, and amended on October 27, 2004)
Minimal sedation (Anxiolysis) is a drug-induced state during which patients respond nor- mally to verbal commands. Although cognitive function and coordination may be im- paired, ventilatory and cardiovascular functions are unaffected. (ASA policy statement on Continuum of Depth of Sedation Definition of General Anesthesia and Levels of Se- dation/Analgesia, Approved by ASA House of Delegates on October 13, 1999, and amended on October 27, 2004)
Moderate sedation/Analgesia (Conscious Sedation) is a drug-induced depression of con- sciousness during which patients respond purposefully to verbal commands, either alone or accompanied by light tactile stimulation. No interventions are required to maintain a patent airway, and spontaneous ventilation is adequate. Cardiovascular function is usually maintained. (ASA policy statement on Continuum of Depth of Seda- tion Definition of General Anesthesia and Levels of Sedation/Analgesia, Approved by ASA House of Delegates on October 13, 1999, and amended on October 27, 2004) Procedural sedation is defined as the technique of administering sedatives or dissociative agents with or without analgesics to induce a state that allows the patient to tolerate unpleasant procedures while maintaining cardiorespiratory function. (ACEP clinical pol- icy for procedural sedation and analgesia in the emergency department – Annals of Emergency Medicine 2005)
Rapid-sequence intubation (RSI) is an important technique for airway management of patients in the emergency department and is in the domain of emergency medicine practice. RSI is defined as a technique where a potent sedative or induction agent is administered virtually simultaneously with a paralyzing dose of a neuromuscular block- ing agent to facilitate rapid tracheal intubation. The technique includes specific pro- tection against aspiration of gastric contents, provides excellent access to the airway for intubation, and permits pharmacologic control of adverse responses to illness, injury, and the intubation itself. (Rapid Sequence Intubation policy statement, ACEP, October 2006)
Six Quality Aims as defined by the Institute of Medicine are:
Safe: Avoiding injuries to patients from the care that is intended to help them.
Effective: Providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refraining from providing services to those not likely to benefit thereby avoid- ing under use and overuse, respectively.
Patient-centered: Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patients’ preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.
Timely: Reducing waits and sometimes harmful delays for both those who receive and those who give care.
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Efficient: Avoiding waste, including waste of equipment, supplies, ideas, and en- ergy.
Equitable: Providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal charac- teristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location and socioeconomic status.
(Crossing the Quality Chasm, IOM Report. National Academies Press, 2001)
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