ANZCA Bulletin June 2011 - Australian and New Zealand College of ...

Regional news continued
Western Australia
WA Airway Group
Advanced Airway
Management
Workshop
The West Australian Airway Group
(WAAG) is a non-profi t organisation
aimed at improving airway management
and training across Western Australia.
It held its inaugural Advanced Airway
Management Course at the Quay West
Resort Bunker Bay on April 9..
The workshop was convened by Dr
Andrew Heard (WAAG Chair, Royal Perth
Hospital) and was run by 21 facilitators
from hospitals across WA.
This was the fi rst time such a
workshop had been held in WA and
the aim was to provide delegates with
the skills to manage diffi cult airway
situations via small group training and
with maximum hands-on experience.
It was run along the lines of Dr Pierre
Bradley’s AAAMRC course in Melbourne
with the aim of standardising airway
course training across the country.
Dr Shannon Matzelle (WAAG
secretary, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital)
and Dr Patrick Eakins (Royal Perth
Hospital) coordinated he surgical airway
station with a team of facilitators
consisting of Dr Andrew Heard, Dr Iain
Gilmore (Bunbury Regional Hospital)
and Dr Catherine Fuller (Joondalup
Health Campus). Dr Heard gave a short
presentation on the “cannot intubate,
cannot oxygenate” (CICO) algorithm,
including the basis for the techniques to
be taught and the required equipment.
Then, using cricothyroidotomy trainers
and a jetting model, candidates were
taught techniques from the algorithm,
including cannula insertion, Cook
Melkertm 5.0 insertion, the scalpel
bougie technique, and safe jetting
oxygenation practice for an emergency
scenario.
Dr Gordon Chapman (Royal Perth
Hospital) and his team of Dr Jonah
Desforges (Fremantle Hospital), Dr Jim
English (Fremantle Hospital), Dr De-Wet
Van Riet (Rockingham Hospital) and
Dr Bill Williams (Royal Perth Hospital)
coordinated the fi breoptic workshop.
The session started with lectures on
the important aspects of fi breoptic
intubation. These were followed by
hands-on training by participants, who
were grouped in pairs.
Each pair shared state-of-the-art
Storz and Olympus fi breoptic scopes,
which were used to complete a couple
of modules of endoscopic training.
Each pair of participants had access
to a facilitator, which gave everyone
an excellent opportunity for teaching
and discussion. The end of the session
was dedicated to intubation techniques
through a laryngeal mask.
Associate Professor Richard Riley
(WAAG vice-chair, Royal Perth Hospital)
headed the simulation station. His
team of dedicated instructors, all with
simulation experience, comprised Dr
Holger Holldack (Sir Charles Gairdner
Hospital ), Dr Kevin Elks (Fremantle
Hospital/Royal Perth Hospital), Dr Tania
Rogerson (Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital),
Dr Wim Smithies (Royal Perth Hospital)
and Dr Angela Palumbo (Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital).
Two Laerdal SimMen and one 3G
SimMan were transported to the venue
with several containers of equipment to
complement the scenarios.
Each participant experienced an
airway emergency in each room as
the principal anaesthetist. They also
were called in to assist in one of the
scenarios as the need arose. The
participants appreciated the opportunity
to experience the real-time pressure of
airway emergencies.
Dr Alex Swann (Fremantle Hospital)
and Dr Roger Browning (King Edward
Memorial Hospital) facilitated the
indirect/videolanryngoscopy workstation.
In addition, we were fortunate to have
two invited experts to assist – Dr Chris
Acott from Royal Adelaide Hospital,
an expert in the CMAC and Bonfi ls
devices, and Dr Pierre Bradley, an airway
specialist from The Alfred in Melbourne.
Dr Bradley presented recent papers
on indirect layngoscopes and highlighted
the differences between devices
available on the market.
Participants then rotated through
stations featuring the CMAC & Bonfi ls
laryngoscopes, the Airtraq & Pentax
AWS, the Glidescope and the AP
Advance laryngoscope. Another station
was set up as a scenario of a car
accident, with a mannequin in a sitting
position in bright sunlight. Participants
were invited to attempt to intubate the
mannequin with any of the available
devices.
The day ended with a gala dinner
at the beautiful Lamonts winery where
delegates and facilitators enjoyed a night
of fi ne food and wine – a welcome winddown
after a long and intense day.
From verbal and written feedback
the Advanced Airway Management
Course was very well-received by the
participants who were enthused by the
hands-on small group teaching and
reported that they had got a lot out of
the workshop. All participants indicated
they would recommend this course to
their colleagues!
Thanks and acknowledgements to
Dr Pierre Bradley and Dr Chris Accott,
who travelled a long way to lend their
expertise, Dr Gavin Teague (WAAG
secretary) who had the diffi cult task of
managing our fi nances, Dr Denise Yim
who coordinated the smooth running of
the workshop, our sponsors, Dr Andrew
Heard, Dr Shannon Matzelle and all the
facilitators who made this day a success.
Above left: Dr Iain Gilmore and Dr Shannon
Matzelle teaching the scapel bougie technique
WAAG article.
78
ANZCA Bulletin June 2011