An international survey about rapid sequence intubation of 10,003 anaesthetists and 16 airway experts

Summary Pulmonary aspiration of gastric content is a significant cause of anaesthesia‐related morbidity and mortality. High‐quality prospective randomised evidence to support prevention strategies, such as rapid sequence intubation, is difficult to generate due to well‐described practical, ethical and methodological barriers. We aimed to generate an understanding of worldwide practice through surveying clinically practicing anaesthetists and airway experts. Our survey was designed to assess the influence of: departmental standards; patient factors; socio‐economic factors; training; and supervision. We surveyed 10,003 anaesthetists who responded to an invitation to participate on LinkedIn. We then surveyed 16 international airway experts on the same content. When asked about a hypothetical patient with intestinal obstruction, respondents expressed preferences for [OR (95%CI)]: the head‐up or ‐down position 4.26 (3.98–4.55), p