3-3-2 RULE

Course overview

THE AIRWAY IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF PATIENT SAFETY, AND DIFFICULT INTUBATIONS COMMONLY CAUSE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. TO DECREASE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH INTUBATION, INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS MUST PROPERLY EVALUATE RISKS AND RECOGNIZE WHICH PATIENTS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE DIFFICULT TO INTUBATE. THIS WILL ALLOW THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM TO PREPARE ACCORDINGLY, THEREBY REDUCING THE RISK OF COMPLICATIONS AND IMPROVING PATIENT OUTCOMES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE 3-3-2 RULE, AN ASSESSMENT TOOL USED TO PREDICT DIFFICULT INTUBATIONS BASED ON CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFICULT AIRWAYS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING PATIENTS WHO MAY NEED INTUBATION.