A Study Comparing Time to Intubate With and Without a Barrier Box

Time to Adapt in the Pandemic Era: A Prospective Randomized Study Comparing Time to Intubate With and Without the Barrier Box

This study is for patients who will be having surgery and will have a breathing tube placed during intubation. The purpose of the research is to study the time it takes to use a barrier box for placement of a breathing tube. A barrier box is a clear box that sits over the head and shoulders of a patient as a breathing tube is placed. The box is used to protect the healthcare provider's exposure to coronavirus in patients who have COVID-19. The study will not include patients who test positive for COVID-19 or who are sick with COVID-19 symptoms. The researchers want to learn how long it takes to use the barrier box before it is used routinely in COVID-19 patients.

The study will have two groups of 39 patients in each group. Some patients will have a barrier box and some patients will not have a barrier box. Patients will be randomly assigned to the barrier box or no barrier box group. The study will measure the time it takes to place the breathing tube.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients presenting for surgery needing general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation
• pre-operatively tested negative for SARS- CoV-2 virus

Exclusion Criteria:

• inability to consent or cooperate,
• children
• pregnant women
• patients with severe cardiopulmonary compromise
• American Society Anesthesiologists' (ASA) physical status 4 and 5
• Body Mass Index (BMI) >35
• known or anticipated difficult airway
• patients with positive COVID status or unknown COVID status
• patients who reported claustrophobia in the pre-operative area