Endotracheal extubation technique training video published

The training video, which is the seventh BMC-produced video to appear in the NEJM's Videos in Clinical Medicine section, provides best practices for physicians utilizing endotracheal extubation. This NEJM collection is widely considered to be the gold standard of procedure training videos for many physicians, both in residency, and as part of continuing medical education.

The video and accompanying article focus on removal of the breathing tube or "extubation," a necessity in patients undergoing general anesthesia, with a particular focus on patients needing only brief periods of assistance with breathing. The main goal of the video is to review for anesthesiologists and other physicians the successful removal of the endotracheal tube from patients as early as possible, once they have emerged safely from general anesthesia or when the breathing tube is no longer indicated.

The publication lays out an all-encompassing analysis of routine extubation, as well as the emergency contingencies and complications of a difficult procedure. "The take-home point of the review is that most complications of short-term extubation are preventable, and can be avoided by careful training and preparation," explained Ortega who is the lead author.

According to Ortega training videos published in academic journals offer a greater number of health care practitioners access to significant clinical practice tools.