@article {Adams743, author = {M Christopher Adams and Ulrich Schmidt and Dean R Hess and Henry T Stelfox and Edward A Bittner}, title = {Examination of Patterns in Intubation by an Emergency Airway Team at a Large Academic Center: Higher Frequency During Daytime Hours}, volume = {59}, number = {5}, pages = {743--748}, year = {2014}, doi = {10.4187/respcare.02432}, publisher = {Respiratory Care}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Emergency airway management represents an event with high acuity but unpredictable frequency and therefore presents a challenge for adequate staffing. Given circadian and seasonal variations, we hypothesized that the majority of emergency airway events happen after normal working hours and during the winter months. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 1,482 intubations by an emergency airway team over a 3-y period was performed. The data were obtained from hospitalized patients who required emergency airway management in a large academic medical center. A database of emergency airway consultations was analyzed for intubation time and date information, as well as geographic location within the hospital. RESULTS: A greater percentage of emergency intubations occurred during day shift hours (7 am to 7 pm) compared with night shift hours, 57\% and 43\%, respectively (P \< .01). The monthly frequency of intubations was not uniformly distributed across the year (P \< .01). The greatest percentage of intubations was performed in February (10.9\%), with the lowest being recorded in August (4.7\%). CONCLUSIONS: Emergency airway service utilization is highest during daytime hours, with seasonal variations composed of higher consults in the winter and lower consults in the summer.}, issn = {0020-1324}, URL = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/59/5/743}, eprint = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/59/5/743.full.pdf}, journal = {Respiratory Care} }