Rapid Sequence Induction

Rapid sequence induction, in anesthesia and advanced airway management, also called rapid sequence intubation or crash induction, is a special process for endotracheal intubation used when a patient is at high risk of pulmonary aspiration. It differs from other techniques for inducing general anesthesia in that several extra precautions are taken to minimize the time between giving the induction drugs and securing the tube, during which the patient airway is essentially unprotected; unlike routine tracheal intubation, the anesthesiologist does not typically manually assist ventilation of the lungs after the onset of general anesthesia and cessation of breathing until the trachea is intubated and the cuff inflated. It is typically used in patients at high risk of aspiration or who are critically ill, and may be performed by anesthesiologists, intensivists, emergency physicians or, in some regions, paramedics.