Three years ago (holy crap!), I put out the first version of the EMCrit RSI Checklist in this Podcast (92). Vahe Ender (@calldaburd) inspired me to reduce it to a business card/ID card sized version. I also simplified, clarified, and improved every aspect of the checklist. So here is the 2.0 version. The original is still great, it may just take a few seconds longer to use the old one. This is a no bullshit, less than 60 second version that has been field-tested 100's of times.
The EMCrit RSI Checklist v 2.0
Printable Version of EMCrit RSI Checklist
CricCon2
EMCrit Remix of the STC Failed Airway Algorithm
Printable Version of the STC Failed Airway Algo 2.0
Here is the Failed Airway Algo I see many centers use in lieu of the STC Algo
Attribution: Doktor Schnabel from the GomerBlog
Syringe Labels
Airway Bag (Sydney HEMS DumpKit)
Go to the Resus.cc site to see our version
Want to hear an actual use of the checklist with nurse calling and doc responding?
I'll be putting it up as a wee this week; sorry : (
Some Literature on Checklists for Crit Care Airway
Additional Stuff
- Article on IVC to predict hemo decompensation after intubation
- Evidence for Intubation Checklists (Ann Emerg Med. 2016 Mar;67(3):389-95)
Here is the checklist sheet and debrief form we will actually be using in the RACC
Additional New Information
More on EMCrit
- Shock Trauma Center (STC) Failed Airway Algorithm(Opens in a new browser tab)
- Podcast 103 – Avoiding Resuscitation Medication Errors – Part II(Opens in a new browser tab)
- Podcast 92 – EMCrit Intubation Checklist(Opens in a new browser tab)
- COMM CHECK: On Checklists(Opens in a new browser tab)
- EMCrit 300 Airway Continuous Quality Improvement and the Resus Airway Bundle
Additional Resources
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- EMCrit 394 – CV-EMCrit – Inotrope Basics Part 2 – Specific Scenarios - February 7, 2025
- EMCrit RACC-Lit – January 2025 - February 4, 2025
- EMCrit 393 – CV-EMCrit – Inotrope Basics Part 1 - January 25, 2025
What is the name of the green and yellow kit that you use to store airway equipment? Do you have this at the bedside for PSA as well? The current setup at my hospital sucks and I need to change it. Thanks for a great podcast.
D953 Aeromedical RSI Kit
from a company called DHS Emergency which is part of the Byron group in Australia.
Thanks for this Scott. I would prefer the “kit-dump” checklist at the top for ED intubations, since this can be done while awaiting patient arrival but the other bits require the patient present. This means you’re not waisting time on prparing the kit once the patient is in front of you. For pre-hosp however, it makes sense to start optimising your patient while preparing kit dump.
Robert Werch, BSN RN – Flight Nurse – Rotorwing Aeromedical Transport (Scene and Interfacility) I might add the dropping of an oral-gastric tube at the same time that you have the scope in place. In many instances that we respond to, local EMS has been bagging the patient prior to our arrival and the abdomen is full of air. Placing the OG immediately after ETT placement with direct or video assisted accuracy can reduce the chances of emesis and risk of aspiration (as well as aide in documentation using a scope capable of pictures/video). Interested in your thoughts on this…… Read more »
Hey Scott, I love this new leaner RSI checklist! We are updating our resus room now, and I want to put it visibly at the head of the bed for our residents and add it to one of our airway training SIMS. Based on your recent awake intubation talks I wanted to suggest you add one box at the top of this RSI checklist list to remind the airway operator to ask themselves if the patient is a difficult airway, and if so are they appropriate for an awake intubation? A checklist box like “predicted diff airway?” “Time for rapid… Read more »
hey buddy, i can send you the visio files if you want to alter
Hi Scott, We took your intubation checklist and tweaked it for our needs and then added some spots for recording drugs and peri-intubation vital signs and it became part of our medical record (yes, we are still on paper here!). This has been great for us because it not only made intubation safer through the checklist mentality, it also made it more accountable and even slightly auditable (although nothing is particularly auditable with a paper MR). We did the same with a procedural sedation checklist that became a sedation record and we are currently trialing a thrombolysis checklist (we have… Read more »
Hey! Great, I mean great, post! And the vodcast is expectacular. Would you say adding drug doses and concentration to the check list would make it more confusing? Another thing, what do you think of evaluating for difficult airway prior intubation with rules such as LEMON?
Best
Fede
having all of the drug conc, etc. (like you can see on the 1st checklist) drove the purists nuts b/c they kept saying this is not a checklist. So this one is just a checklist
Put the bottom portion of the 1st checklist on the backside of this one if you like. LEMON is garbage, use gestalt.
Ok. What do you mean with gestalt?
super good, as always , scott.
thank you
Hi everybody
I have recently come upon the notion and risk of awareness during intubation, even had a case of a patient with diffuse recollection of the event who was induced with etomidate. Is there any real risk of awareness during intubation with RSI?? I found several reports so I would like your expert opinion on that topic. I.e. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3236173/
hi my name is tanis shapka i live in st paul alberta canada i am a frist aider and i would like to get a intubation kit if anyone has cal me at 1780-614-4672
Wonderful very practical content
It is organized in a fashion I have not seen prior to this. Logical and easy to follow. I will put this to use
You will be very helpful to many of us in the field who need an update refresher on this material
Thank you again applause well done
Hey Scott, looks like you never posted the video of RN/MD call and response actual use of the checklist? Looking to incorporate this into training for our critical care transport team.