Effect of Upright Patient Positioning on Intubation Success

Endotracheal intubation is most commonly taught and performed with the patient supine. Recent literature suggests that elevating the patient's head to a more upright position may decrease peri-intubation complications. However, there is little data on success rates of upright intubation in the emergency department. The goal of this study was to measure the association of head positioning with intubation success rates among emergency medicine residents.