UK Paramedics and Pre-hospital Intubation - Essay Example

Even though intubation has been widely used by paramedics when responding to emergency cases, the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee (JRCALC) has recently recommended the idea that intubation should no longer be considered the ‘gold standard’ for airway management since the benefits of using intubation were questioned based on several evidence-based practice (Joint Recommendation from AETAG/JRCALC Airway Group, 2008) aside from the lack of professional competency on the part of paramedics to perform the actual tracheal intubation during emergency cases given the fact that very few patients would require the need for intubation each year (Blacke, 2007).

Instead of using the traditional intubation procedure, UK paramedics are encouraged to use the supraglottic airway devices (SADs). enable the readers to fully understand the subject matter. Aiming to determine the disadvantages of using tracheal intubation method, peer-reviewed and clinical evidences will be gathered to examine the health and socio-economic consequences of using the traditional intubation airway technique. Upon going through the discussion, the life-saving advantages and disadvantages of both ventilation techniques will be compared and contrast.

Eventually, the impact of JRCALC’s recommendation over the role of UK paramedics in terms of professional issues, autonomous practice and morale will be thoroughly discussed. As part of the conclusion, the possible impact of the recommendation made by JRCALC will be critically analyzed based on the evidences gathered in the study. Bag-valve-mask device – “an airway device that has a manually compressible bag that contains oxygen aside from a one-way valve and mask that fits over the mouth and nose of the patient” (eNotes.com, 2002).

Laryngospasm – “the sudden acute spasm of the vocal cords and the epiglottis which could result to