Risk factors predicting low oxygen during intubation of critically ill patients.

What is it about?

Intubation, the placing of a breathing tube into the windpipe, is a dangerous procedure in the intensive care unit, and the most common complication is low oxygen levels during the placement. Certain patient characteristics can be used to predict a patient's chances of having low oxygen before the procedure is done.

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Why is it important?

Low oxygen during intubation has been linked to death and other bad outcomes in patients who get placed on a breathing machine in the ICU. Doctors and other providers who place the breathing tubes need tools to understand their patients' chance of having low oxygen.