Loading...
Airway management in the ICU and emergency department in resource-limited settings
Kataria, Sahil Juneja, Deven Jain, Ravi Nasa, Prashant
Kataria, Sahil
Juneja, Deven
Jain, Ravi
Nasa, Prashant
Editors
Other contributors
Epub Date
Issue Date
2026-01-23
Submitted date
Alternative
Abstract
Airway management is central to the care of critically ill patients, yet it remains one of the most challenging interventions in emergency departments and intensive care units. Patients often present with severe physiological instability, limited cardiopulmonary reserve, and high acuity, while clinicians often work under constraints related to time for preparation, equipment availability, trained workforce, monitoring, and access to advanced rescue techniques. These challenges are particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries and other resource-limited or austere environments, where the margin for error is narrow and delays or repeated attempts in airway management may rapidly precipitate hypoxemia, hemodynamic collapse, or cardiac arrest. Although contemporary airway guidelines emphasize structured preparation and rescue pathways, many assume resources that are not consistently available in such settings. This narrative review discusses pragmatic, context-adapted strategies for airway management in constrained environments, with emphasis on physiology-first preparation, appropriate oxygenation and induction techniques, simplified rapid-sequence intubation, and the judicious use of basic airway adjuncts, supraglottic devices, and video laryngoscopy, where available. Adapted difficult airway algorithms, front-of-neck access in the absence of surgical backup, human factors, team training, and ethical considerations are also addressed. This review aims to support safer and effective airway management for critically ill patients in resource-limited emergency and intensive care settings.
Citation
Kataria, S., Juneja, D., Jain, R., Veenith, T., & Nasa, P. (2026). Airway Management in the ICU and Emergency Department in Resource-Limited Settings. Life, 16 (2), article 195. https://doi.org/10.3390/life16020195
Publisher
Journal
Research Unit
PubMed ID
41752833 (pubmed)
PubMed Central ID
Embedded videos
Additional Links
Type
Journal article
Language
en
Description
© 2026 The Authors. Published by MDPI. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence.
The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.3390/life16020195
Series/Report no.
ISSN
2075-1729
EISSN
2075-1729
ISBN
ISMN
Gov't Doc #
Sponsors
This research received no external funding.