Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T19:26:13.506Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

ENT and airways in the emergency department: national survey of junior doctors' knowledge and skills

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2016

K L Whitcroft ,
B Moss  and
A Mcrae
K L Whitcroft*
Affiliation:
ENT Department, Lincoln County Hospital, UK
B Moss
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, UK
A Mcrae
Affiliation:
ENT Department, Lincoln County Hospital, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Ms K Whitcroft, ENT Department, Lincoln County Hospital, Greetwell Road, Lincoln LN2 5QY, UK E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background:

Given the urgent nature of ENT emergencies, appropriate knowledge is required amongst front-line staff. Junior doctors account for almost one quarter of emergency department doctors. It has been shown that undergraduate coverage of ENT is variable. This study therefore aimed to determine whether emergency department junior doctors were confident in dealing with ENT emergencies, with special focus on the airway.

Method:

An online survey was circulated to junior doctors working in emergency medicine, at the discretion of their training co-ordinators.

Results:

A total of 104 responses were received. Junior doctors were not confident in managing patients who have undergone tracheostomy or laryngectomy. Management of stridor varied, with 51 per cent giving oxygen and only 77 per cent referring such patients as an emergency to ENT. Most training on the management of airway emergencies was not provided through hospital induction.

Conclusion:

Training should be provided to junior doctors starting work in the emergency department. We suggest mandatory multidisciplinary induction training for such staff.

Keywords

EducationOtolaryngologyAccident and Emergency Department
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 130 , Issue 2 , February 2016 , pp. 183 - 189
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Presented as a poster at the 15th British Academic Conference in Otolaryngology, 8–10 July 2015, Liverpool, UK.

References

1Lightbody, KA, Wilkie, MD. Current ENT training within the UK. Clin Otolaryngol 2012;37:84–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Powell, J, Cooles, FA, Carrie, S, Paleri, V. Is undergraduate medical education working for ENT surgery? A survey of UK medical school graduates. J Laryngol Otol 2011;125:896–905CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Khan, MM, Saeed, SR. Provision of undergraduate otorhinolaryngology teaching within General Medical Council approved UK medical schools: what is current practice? J Laryngol Otol 2012;126:340–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Neil, JF. Otolaryngology in the curriculum. J R Soc Med 1979;72:551–2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Campisi, P, Asaria, J, Brown, D. Undergraduate otolaryngology education in Canadian medical schools. Laryngoscope 2008;118:1941–50CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Health & Social Care Information Centre. NHS Workforce Statistics in England, Medical and Dental staff – 2004–2014, As at 30 September. In: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=17382&topics=2percent2fWorkforcepercent2fStaff+numberspercent2fHospital+and+community+health+service+staff&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1#top [14 October 2015]Google Scholar
7Sharma, A, Machen, K, Clarke, B, Howard, D. Is undergraduate otorhinolaryngology teaching relevant to junior doctors working in accident and emergency departments? J Laryngol Otol 2006;120:949–51CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Windfuhr, JP, Chen, YS, Remmert, S. Hemorrhage following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in 15,218 patients. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005;132:281–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Cohen, D, Dor, M. Morbidity and mortality of post-tonsillectomy bleeding: analysis of cases. J Laryngol Otol 2008;122:88–92CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Royal College of Anaesthetists. 4th National Audit Project (NAP4), 2011. In: http://www.rcoa.ac.uk/nap4 [14 October 2015]Google Scholar
11Resuscitation Council (UK). The National Tracheostomy Safety Project: The emergency management of tracheostomies and laryngectomies, 2012. In: https://www.resus.org.uk/resuscitation-guidelines/other-guidelines-and-guidance/the-national-tracheostomy-safety-project/ [14 October 2015]Google Scholar
12McGrath, BA, Bates, L, Atkinson, D, Moore, JA; National Tracheostomy Safety Project. Multidisciplinary guidelines for the management of tracheostomy and laryngectomy airway emergencies. Anaesthesia 2012;67:1025–41CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed