A Ketamine Protocol and Intubation Rates for Psychiatric Air Medical Retrieval

Prior to implementation of the ketamine sedation protocol, the Cairns Base intubated 6 of 164 patients, and post 2007 (implementation), intubation for safe transfer was required in 4 of 332 retrievals, reflecting a reduction from 3.6 % to 1.2 %. This trend was noted in other bases staffed by RFDS doctors (Mount Isa, Charleville) after the 2010 rollout of the ketamine package. Cairns, Mount Isa and Charleville intubated 11 (or 2.7%) of 411 patients transferred pre- 2010.
Post 2010, 419 patients were retrieved, with intubation rates reduced to 4 of 419 patients (or 0.95%).

Intubation rates have not changed in the bases without any resident RFDS doctors. , 18 of 414 patients transferred (or 4.3%) pre-protocol were intubated, while post-protocol, this actually rose to 11 intubations in 234 patients (4.7%). These bases are staffed with flight doctors from Careflight Medical Services, and adoption of the ketamine protocol was the slowest to be implemented in these bases.

The other significant aspect of this study is for the first time ever to our knowledge, a statistical benchmark key performance indicator for psychiatric aeromedical retrieval care can be extrapolated from this data. Tracheal intubation as a means of patient restraint has no known published data regarding the aeromedical setting, although it is a frequently utilized method anecdotally. The data suggests that a benchmark percentage of 5% of all aeromedical patients with a primary mental health diagnosis, be considered as the threshold for flagging inappropriate or excessive use of such a restrictive means of patient care. This study also suggests that it is feasible to achieve a performance of less than 3% reliance upon tracheal intubation, using a standardized ketamine sedation protocol.

Limitations of Study

This electronic database required accurate coding of entries. It is possible that not all cases were coded correctly. We cannot establish causality from this type of study i.e. other reasons for reduction in intubation rates post protocol. For example, increased awareness and focus on improving sedation care may have resulted in higher rates of adequate preflight oral sedation, leading to reduced arousal prior to air transfer and hence reduced requirement for deep sedation and tracheal intubation.

Recommendation and Implications for Emergency Medicine

Ketamine sedation has been successfully implemented in a large aeromedical patient population, reducing the need for intubation by half in those managed by RFDS medical staff. Inter-hospital Emergency department transfer of acutely agitated patients using a ketamine sedation protocol should be considered.

Conclusion

This study has demonstrated that in our setting, the implementation of clear guidelines and a protocol-based approach can reduce the number of intubations required for aeromedical retrieval of the acutely agitated mental health patient.

Further work

Future study could examine complication rates over this same study period

No competing interests are declared.

This study has in part been funded by the Flying Doctor Retrieval Sedation Registry by RFDS QLD.

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