Difficult Airway Management in Trauma: A Review of Current Guidelines - Trauma EXTRA Supplement (Trauma CME)

CME Information

Date of Original Release: August 15, 2025. Date of most recent review: July 15, 2025. Termination date: August 15, 2028.

Accreditation: EB Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation: EB Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 4 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Specialty CME: Included as part of the 4 credits, this CME activity is eligible for 4 Trauma CME credits, subject to your state and institutional approval.

AOA Accreditation: Emergency Medicine Practice is eligible for 4 Category 2-B credit hours per issue by the American Osteopathic Association.

AAFP Accreditation: The AAFP has reviewed Emergency Medicine Practice, and deemed it acceptable for AAFP credit. Term of approval is from 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This session, Difficult Airway Management in Trauma: A Review of Current Guidelines, is approved for 4.0 enduring material AAFP Prescribed credits.

Needs Assessment: The need for this educational activity was determined by a practice gap analysis; a survey of medical staff; review of morbidity and mortality data from the CDC, AHA, NCHS, and ACEP; and evaluation responses from prior educational activities for emergency medicine physicians.

Target Audience: This enduring material is designed for emergency medicine physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and residents.

Goals: Upon completion of this activity, you should be able to: (1) identify areas in practice that require modification to be consistent with current evidence in order to improve competence and performance; (2) develop strategies to accurately diagnose and treat both common and critical ED presentations; and (3) demonstrate informed medical decision-making based on the strongest clinical evidence.

CME Objectives: Upon completion of this activity, you should be able to: (1) describe major difficult airway guidelines; (2) discuss techniques to use when intubation is not possible among patients with face and neck trauma; (3) describe the physiologically difficult airway and discuss its management; and (4) identify the components of a difficult airway program.

Discussion of Investigational Information: As part of the activity, faculty may be presenting investigational information about pharmaceutical products that is outside Food and Drug Administration approved labeling. Information presented as part of this activity is intended solely as continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of any pharmaceutical product.

Disclosure: It is the policy of EB Medicine to ensure objectivity, balance, independence, transparency, and scientific rigor in all CME activities. All individuals in a position to control content have disclosed all financial relationships with ACCME-defined ineligible companies. EB Medicine has assessed all relationships with ineligible companies disclosed, identified those financial relationships deemed relevant, and appropriately mitigated all relevant financial relationships based on each individual’s role(s). Please find disclosure information for this activity below:

Planners:

• Kaushal Shah, MD (Editor-in-Chief): Nothing to Disclose

Faculty:

• Christian Menard, MD (Author):
  • Moderna (stock owner in a publicly traded company)
  • Vertex Pharmaceuticals (stock owner in a publicly traded company)
• Sarah Pierce, CRNA (Author): Nothing to Disclose
• Thomas R. deTar, MD (Author): Nothing to Disclose
• Heatherlee Bailey, MD (Peer Reviewer):
  • Radiometer America (consultant/advisor)
  • Baxter International (honoraria for papers, lectures, or teaching)
• Kamal Gursahani, MD (Peer Reviewer): Nothing to Disclose
• Anneke Smith (Content Editor): Nothing to Disclose
• Angie Wallace (Content Editor): Nothing to Disclose

Commercial Support: This issue of Emergency Medicine Practice did not receive any commercial support.

Earning Credit: Go online to www.ebmedicine.net/CME and click on the title of the test you wish to take. When completed, a CME certificate will be emailed to you.

Additional Policies: For additional policies, including our statement of conflict of interest, source of funding, statement of informed consent, and statement of human and animal rights, visit https://www.ebmedicine.net/policies.