“Understanding the patterns related to injuries during intubation is essential in order to develop strategies for improved patient safety and outcomes.”

Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers worked with CRICO to analyze data from the Candello database to better understand claims against anesthesiologists for vocal cord injuries that occurred during endotracheal intubation. 

The findings of this retrospective study of closed claims include: Injuries related to endotracheal intubation remain an ongoing challenge to anesthesiologists. The cause of injuries were often multifactorial and stemmed most commonly from technical errors and patients with comorbidities.

Read the full-text study published in the peer-review journal, Journal of Clinical Anesthesia.

A Closed Claims Analysis of Vocal Cord Injuries Related to Endotracheal Intubation Between 2004 and 2015

Homsi JT, Brovman EY, Greenberg P, Urman RD. A closed claims analysis of vocal cord injuries related to endotracheal intubation between 2004 and 2015. Journal of Clinical Anesthesia. 2020 May. 61 [published online Dec. 10, 2019]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinane.2019.109687 (Subscription may be required.)