A Multicenter Study of Pulmonary Critical Care Trainees' Perception of Airway Management Training during Fellowship.

Background: There is significant variability in airway management training among pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) fellows. Objective: To assess the airway management training of PCCM fellows, specifically evaluating the role of the institutional approach to intubations (anesthesia-predominant primary operators vs. PCCM-predominant) to the overall fellows' educational experience. Methods: We performed a survey of PCCM fellows at 14 institutions to assess the perceptions of airway management training. Summary statistics were used to analyze the Likert scale responses. Based on our hypothesis of a relationship of a fellow's experience to the institutional approach to intubations, we stratified responses based on whether the primary operator for airway management for critically ill patients was generally anesthesiology or PCCM providers. Statistical significance was determined using either Results: Respondents included 132 fellows across 14 PCCM programs (47% response rate), spanning all fellowship years (29% in first year [ Conclusion: We found significant differences in fellows' experiences in airway management based on the institutional approach to intubations (anesthesia-predominant primary operators vs. PCCM-predominant). Ongoing focus on strategies to optimize competency-based airway management training is needed, particularly at programs where anesthesia involvement limits the amount of clinical exposure.