Adult Intubation Checklist

Emergency tracheal intubation is a complex, time-critical procedure performed under substantial cognitive load. Physiological instability, difficult anatomy and the need to coordinate several clinicians can make even familiar steps easier to overlook. A checklist does not replace expertise but can support team communication and reduce the risk that critical actions are omitted.

This Adult Intubation Checklist is a rapid cognitive aid for clinicians already trained in emergency airway management. It focuses on three phases: preparation before induction, a team pause immediately before the first attempt, and early post-intubation care.

The checklist was developed through the work of emergency physicians, educators and airway groups across British Columbia, Canada. Particular acknowledgement goes to Dr Jeff Yoo of Vancouver General Hospital, whose leadership in developing the British Columbia Provincial Airway Registry has supported standardisation and quality improvement in emergency airway practice.

The checklist emphasises physiological optimisation, early recognition of anatomical and physiological difficulty, explicit backup plans and the principle that successful airway management extends beyond passage of the tube. It should be adapted to local equipment, medications, staffing and clinical pathways.

Adult Intubation Checklist

Further reading

• Adult Intubation Checklist [PDF]
• Paediatric Intubation Checklist [Checkbox PDF] [PDF]

Neil Long

Dr Neil Long BMBS FACEM FRCEM FRCPC. Emergency Physician at Kelowna hospital, British Columbia. Loves the misery of alpine climbing and working in austere environments (namely tertiary trauma centres). Supporter of FOAMed, lifelong education and trying to find that elusive peak performance.