A guide for the guidelines - Navigating the airway options

Airway management guidelines are here to stay. They offer an opportunity to address technical and non-technical aspects of avoidable factors associated with complications, and to guide teams and individuals through evidence-based strategies. Different guidance exists from a variety of organisations and countries covering a multitude of scenarios, with a wide range of consensus strategies and literature reviews used for development. Many are applicable both inside and outside of our hospitals and are used by a variety of healthcare professionals and specialities, including non-medically qualified staff. In this article, we review the rationale for airway management guidelines and their effectiveness. We also offer our thoughts on navigating through the available options. The principles of planning ahead, planning to fail, summoning the best available assistance and of providing adequate oxygenation before, during and after attempts to manage the airway should be clear goals any airway management, regardless of which guidance is followed.