Neonatal intubation: procedural technique, indications and pitfalls for the adult intensivist (and others)

Abstract

Despite the growing use of non-invasive ventilation in neonatology, endotracheal intubation remains one of the cornerstones of neonatal intensive care. This procedure is made technically difficult by the size of patients, the anatomical specificities of their airways, their low respiratory reserves, the diversity of existing equipment and the high risk of adverse events associated with the procedure. In addition to technical training, any clinician who has to intubate a newborn must be familiar with and anticipate the most common difficulties. This article reviews the main concepts to be familiar with, and the practices currently recommended to facilitate the performance of this procedure for both experienced and inexperienced operators.