The Protected Airway Collaborative

Get a Sneak Peak at the New Hyperangulated PACscape

We’re thrilled to unveil the newest evolution of our PAC Learning Space for hyperangulated video laryngoscopy (HAVL). PAC isn’t just about courses; it’s about creating immersive, interactive training environments you can set up anywhere to make…

Introducing the Guided Visualization Library Train your mind, sharpen your skills, and be ready when it matters most. In sports, elite athletes have long known the value of mental rehearsal. Whether it’s a tennis player visualizing their serve or a skier running the course in their head, guided imagery is a proven way to build muscle memory and improve performance when it really counts. Musicians, pilots, and even military professionals use the same techniques; practicing not only with their hands but also with their minds.

Introducing the Guided Visualization Library

Train your mind, sharpen your skills, and be ready when it matters most. In sports, elite athletes have long known the value of mental rehearsal. Whether it’s a tennis player visualizing their serve or a skier running the course in their head, guided…

Our October Newsletter is out! us9.campaign-archive.com?u=2da5e3c77f...

Connect With Us at Community Hours

We’re Excited to Announce a New Way to Connect, Learn, and Grow Together Starting next month, the Protected Airway Collaborative will be hosting live sessions designed exclusively for our community. These sessions will be held online, with select events also…

IO Access: The Under-30 Second Lifeline For Peri-Intubation Resuscitation When every second matters, waiting for a central line isn’t an option. Intraosseous (IO) access is the faster, safer bridge that gets life-saving medications and fluids where they need to go—right now. The data are clear: IO can be established in under 30 seconds, carries a success rate of 80–97% in critically ill patients, and bypasses the pitfalls of shock physiology that make IV lines nearly impossible.

IO Access: The Under-30 Second Lifeline

For Peri-Intubation Resuscitation When every second matters, waiting for a central line isn’t an option. Intraosseous (IO) access is the faster, safer bridge that gets life-saving medications and fluids where they need to go—right now. The data are clear: IO…

YouTube video by The Protected Airway Collaborative A demo of PEEP (positive end expiratory pressure) and alveolar recruitment in a cadaver model.

Got PEEP? youtube.com/shorts/6TsVy...

YouTube video by The Protected Airway Collaborative Nasopharyngoscopy for Airway Management

One of our group members recently had a burn patient who potentially needed intubation. The deciding factor was nasopharyngoscopy. Check out how to do it here. #nasopharyngoscopy #intubation #protectedairway youtu.be/Z-Gmpz0AaLQ?...

YouTube video by The Protected Airway Collaborative Hyperangulated Blade Preview | Online Airway Curriculum Launch

Get a sneak peek at some of our new curriculum for the hyperangulated blade. #hyperangulated #protectedairway #intubation #airwaytraining youtube.com/shorts/EJ-C8...

eFONA in the Wild What Real-World Video Review Teaches Us Cricothyrotomy remains the ultimate “can’t intubate, can’t oxygenate” (CICO) procedure. It’s high stakes, rarely performed, and one of the most anxiety-inducing skills in emergency airway management. Despite its importance, most of what we know about cricothyrotomy comes from manikin studies, animal models, or retrospective chart reviews. Until now. A new study by Merkle and colleagues, published in the…

eFONA in the Wild

What Real-World Video Review Teaches Us Cricothyrotomy remains the ultimate “can’t intubate, can’t oxygenate” (CICO) procedure. It’s high stakes, rarely performed, and one of the most anxiety-inducing skills in emergency airway management. Despite its importance, most of what we…

Community starts here.
PAC26 lands in NYC, March 7–8, 2026 — the global hub for airway education and innovation. Experience immersive simulation, hands-on training, and collaboration at the highest level. Join us. #PAC26
#ProtectedAirway #AirwayManagement #MedEd

Livestream: HALO Skills for Massive Hemoptysis With a DIY Trainer Demo + Q&A Date & Time: Monday, October 6, 2025, at 3:00 PM ET Where: Live on our YouTube channel (subscribe and tap the bell to get the alert) Hosts: Oscar Mitchel, MD, & Jonathan St George, MD Register Why this matters Massive hemoptysis is the definition of a High Acuity, Low Occurrence (HALO) event. When it happens, seconds count, and the team needs a clear plan, precise roles, and tools that work in messy reality.

Livestream: HALO Skills for Massive Hemoptysis

With a DIY Trainer Demo + Q&A Date & Time: Monday, October 6, 2025, at 3:00 PM ET Where: Live on our YouTube channel (subscribe and tap the bell to get the alert) Hosts: Oscar Mitchel, MD, & Jonathan St George, MD Register Why this matters Massive…

📰 Our first newsletter is out. mailchi.mp/eea47d50622c...

The dates are set! Pre-register now to save your spot. theprotectedairway.com/pacliveconfe...

Join Us at EUSEM We're bringing our innovative airway training program to EUSEM 2025. On Saturday, 27 September 2025 (08:30 – 18:00), join us in Vienna!

Join Us at EUSEM

We're bringing our innovative airway training program to EUSEM 2025. On Saturday, 27 September 2025 (08:30 – 18:00), join us in Vienna!

Join Us at Clinical Updates In Emergency Medicine

The Protected Airway Collaborative is Coming to Clinical Updates 2025 We’re thrilled to announce that the Protected Airway Collaborative will be part of the program at the 16th Annual Clinical Updates in Emergency Medicine Conference this…

SALAD The Critical Language Compendium is the place to learn the language of airway management. Learn the language and then dive deeper into the related content.

SALAD

The Critical Language Compendium is the place to learn the language of airway management. Learn the language and then dive deeper into the related content.

Airway Training Reimagined Announcement The Protected Airway Collaborative's state-of-the-art education space for personalized private & group training opens September 1st. Where Airway Mastery Begins. We're on a mission to change how we learn in medical education. Airway Works // NYC is a unique learning hub in the heart of New York City, designed to sharpen your skills and immerse you in the best of airway education.

Airway Training Reimagined

Announcement The Protected Airway Collaborative's state-of-the-art education space for personalized private & group training opens September 1st. Where Airway Mastery Begins. We're on a mission to change how we learn in medical education. Airway Works // NYC is a unique…

Ultrasound for Cricothyroid Membrane Identification? A Cautious Appraisal In Real-World eFONA, Touch, Not Tech, Makes the Difference. Emergency cricothyroidotomy is among the most time-sensitive and consequential procedures in airway management. Recently, the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to identify the cricothyroid membrane (CTM) prior to initiating the procedure has garnered increasing attention. While ultrasound may offer benefits in specific scenarios (particularly in patients with challenging anatomy or during planned high-risk airway interventions), its routine use in emergency front-of-neck access (eFONA) warrants more thoughtful evaluation.

Ultrasound for Cricothyroid Membrane Identification? A Cautious Appraisal

In Real-World eFONA, Touch, Not Tech, Makes the Difference. Emergency cricothyroidotomy is among the most time-sensitive and consequential procedures in airway management. Recently, the use of point-of-care ultrasound…

The Difficult Airway Oncology Edition: Top Teaching Pearls for Clinicians Overview Airway management in oncology patients presents a distinct and often underestimated set of challenges. While anatomy and physiology always matter, the added complexity of tumor location, prior treatments, and evolving disease burden can turn a routine airway into a high-stakes clinical scenario. If you manage airways (whether in the OR, ICU, ED, or prehospital environment), it’s only a matter of time before you encounter a cancer-related difficult airway.

The Difficult Airway Oncology Edition: Top Teaching Pearls for Clinicians

Overview Airway management in oncology patients presents a distinct and often underestimated set of challenges. While anatomy and physiology always matter, the added complexity of tumor location, prior treatments, and…

Two Tools, One Mission: Cracking the Code on Difficult Pediatric Intubations Combined Videolaryngoscopy and Flexible Bronchoscopy for Difficult Pediatric Intubation: A Review of Lin et al., Anaesthesia 2025 Background Video-assisted fiberoptic intubation (VAFI) has emerged as an exciting frontier with the arrival of integrated airway management systems, such as the Glidescope CORE, which enable seamless transitions between video and fiberoptic tools on dual-screen monitors. Clinicians are only beginning to tap into the full potential of what these sophisticated devices can offer.

Two Tools, One Mission: Cracking the Code on Difficult Pediatric Intubations

Combined Videolaryngoscopy and Flexible Bronchoscopy for Difficult Pediatric Intubation: A Review of Lin et al., Anaesthesia 2025 Background Video-assisted fiberoptic intubation (VAFI) has emerged as an exciting frontier…

The Pre-Intubation Bolus Prior to Intubation is so 2021 Reviews to Elevate Your Airway Practice A review article on the 2022 PREPARE II trial published in JAMA: We first featured this study in our Physiologically Difficult Airway curriculum in 2022; however, the ritual persists in many clinical settings. The pre-intubation fluid bolus remains a common practice, administered in the hope of preventing hypotension and averting cardiovascular collapse. But is this habit grounded in evidence or just tradition?

The Pre-Intubation Bolus Prior to Intubation is so 2021

Reviews to Elevate Your Airway Practice A review article on the 2022 PREPARE II trial published in JAMA: We first featured this study in our Physiologically Difficult Airway curriculum in 2022; however, the ritual persists in many clinical…

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Mastering Tracheostomy Emergencies: A Practical Guide

Tracheostomy emergencies make people nervous — for good reason. The anatomy is different. The gear is different. The stakes are high, and when…

https://theprotectedairway.com/2025/06/11/mastering-tracheostomy-emergencies-a-practical-guide/

Stronger Together

Congrats to Our German Colleagues! Stronger TogetherHow does PAC keep getting better? Simple — it's built to evolve through collaboration. On June 5th, our incredible team in Germany ran their own PAC course, and it was inspiring to see them bring the posters and pop-up…

YouTube video by The Protected Airway Collaborative Crucial information about the rigid stylet for HAVL. #emergencymedicine #criticalcare #intubation

youtube.com/shorts/WO_J4...

The Universal Lessons from the BARCO Study on Emergency Intubation Some Background Emergency intubation is inherently high-risk, particularly in resource-limited settings. The BARCO study—the first multicenter airway registry in Brazil—aimed to determine the frequency of major adverse events (MAEs) during emergency department intubation and their impact on 28-day mortality. While the findings don’t break new ground, they reinforce a critical, global truth: the peri-intubation period is dangerous. A 2021 international study…

The Universal Lessons from the BARCO Study on Emergency Intubation

Some Background Emergency intubation is inherently high-risk, particularly in resource-limited settings. The BARCO study—the first multicenter airway registry in Brazil—aimed to determine the frequency of major adverse events…

The Protected Airway Is Building the World’s Most Accessible and Scalable Training Platform…Ever Come & Join the Movement Our Vision Our vision is to create a global shift in airway education, where every clinician, regardless of their location or resources, has access to the training, tools, and community needed to deliver safe and effective airway care. We envision a future where innovative, hands-on training coexists with clinical practice in every hospital, EMS agency, medical school, and PA school that needs it, not just at large academic centers.

The Protected Airway Is Building the World’s Most Accessible and Scalable Training Platform…Ever

Come & Join the Movement Our Vision Our vision is to create a global shift in airway education, where every clinician, regardless of their location or resources, has access to the training, tools, and…

PEEP Makes Perfect: A Fresh Look at Preoxygenation Explore the latest evidence on preoxygenation from Roveri et al. (2025). This crossover RCT compares NRB, BVM, and BVM + PEEP across adults and children, showing PEEP improves oxygenation and dependen...

New evidence that PEEP + PreOX is a highly effective combination. theprotectedairway.com/2025/05/24/p...

YouTube video by The Protected Airway Collaborative More Evidence for the Importance of First Pass Success With Tracheal #Intubation #airwaymanagement

Next time you're at the head of the bed, remember: you don’t get extra credit for a second attempt - just extra risk. Insights from the BARCO Study. youtube.com/shorts/2V1GT...

Is It the Device, or the Practice? In the Ongoing Debate, Its Training Over Tools for Laryngoscopy & Intubation New Article Review Can Anything Be More Tiring Than the Endless DL vs. VL Debate? That’s why this new study by Mustafa Öcal, “The role of video and direct laryngoscopy in medical student intubation training: a comparative study on success rates and learning curves”, is such a breath of fresh air.

Is It the Device, or the Practice?

In the Ongoing Debate, Its Training Over Tools for Laryngoscopy & Intubation New Article Review Can Anything Be More Tiring Than the Endless DL vs. VL Debate? That’s why this new study by Mustafa Öcal, “The role of video and direct laryngoscopy in medical student…