Prelaryngoscopy predictors of first-attempt success in pediatric out-of-hospital intubation: a retrospective cohort study

François Javaudin; Mathilde Papin; Louis-Marie Bodet; Joël Jenvrin; Philippe Pes; Quentin Le Bastard

doi:10.1097/MEJ.0000000000001256

Prelaryngoscopy predictors of first-attempt success in pediatric out-of-hospital intubation: a retrospective cohort study

Eur J Emerg Med. 2025 Jul 1. doi: 10.1097/MEJ.0000000000001256. Online ahead of print.

Authors

François Javaudin^{1

2}, Mathilde Papin¹, Louis-Marie Bodet^{1

3}, Joël Jenvrin¹, Philippe Pes¹, Quentin Le Bastard^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Service des Urgences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes.
² Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Cibles et médicaments des infections et du cancer, IICiMed, UR 1155.
³ Réanimation néonatale et pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France.

PMID: 40590778
DOI: 10.1097/MEJ.0000000000001256

Abstract

Background: Pediatric out-of-hospital tracheal intubation is associated with lower success rates compared with adult populations and presents distinct clinical challenges. Achieving success on the first attempt is critical, as multiple intubation attempts are associated with an increased risk of adverse events.

Objectives: The aims were to identify factors available before laryngoscopy that are independently associated with first-attempt success in pediatric out-of-hospital intubation and to evaluate the performance of a gestalt evaluation of intubation difficulty scale.

Methods: Data were extracted from a retrospective, observational, multicenter cohort study conducted in three physician-staffed mobile intensive care units (ICUs) in France. The study included patients aged 0-17 years who required out-of-hospital airway management. The primary outcome was successful intubation on the first attempt. A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed including clinically relevant variables available before laryngoscope insertion.

Results: A total of 206 pediatric patients were included in the analysis, with a median age of 6 years (interquartile range: 1-16). The overall first-attempt success rate was 59.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): (52.7-66.4)]. In the multivariable analysis, patient age [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): for 2-9 years, 2.33, 95% CI: (1.00-5.39); for 10-17 years, 3.86, 95% CI: (1.55-9.60); reference: 0-1 years] and presence of a soiled airway before laryngoscopy [aOR, 0.38, 95% CI: (0.20-0.71)] were independent predictors of successful intubation on the first attempt. The gestalt evaluation of the intubation difficulty scale yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.63, 95% CI: (0.56-0.71), and it showed only a weak correlation with the Cormack-Lehane grade (Kendall tau-b = 0.36; P < 0.001).

Conclusion: In this cohort of pediatric tracheal intubation procedures performed by physician-staffed mobile ICUs, soiled airways and younger age were associated with a lower incidence of first-attempt success. The gestalt evaluation of intubation difficulty demonstrated poor discriminative ability.

Keywords: airway management; endotracheal intubation; pediatric emergency medicine; prehospital emergency care.