COVID INNOVATIONS IN AIRWAY MANAGEMENT – THE 'THALAIVA' TECHNIQUES

Aim: Innovative techniques employed to manage airway during covid pandemic and other jugaad techniques inside operation room during emergencies . These following innovations were made during residency days and it Background: included an aerosol shield from cardboards and clothes hangers , a simple hack to ventilate two patients from one single source of oxygen named as Biventilation from a single oxygen(BVSO). These innovative ideas along with a manual resuscitator made up of an intravenous fluid bottle - SAMBU were presented as a paper in powerpoint format during 1st YUVA ISACON 2020 on 5th and 6th September ,2020 organized by ISA – A Virtual Conference and won 1s t prize in Innovation category . A 'No cost aerosol shiel Technique: d ' to prevent aerosol blast during laryngoscopy and intubation made from metallic cloth hangers , Cardboard roll / metal pipe / plastic pipe , Transparent sheets , HMEF filter . BVSO is a connections simply made out of silicon Y piece with multiple connectors and Et Tube 15 mm connectors from which one can make a bifid O2 supply from a single oxygen source . Two breathing circuits can be attached and two different patients could be ventilated with parameters (tidal volume , peep) adjusted accordingly . This can be used in primitive health care settings with limited oxygen supply . Innovations in health care is exorbitant and tasking . These simple chea Conclusion : p conman techniques comes in handy during demand – supply crises . We need to be frugal in thinking and flexible in action and make our own breakthrough. Clinical Significance: In Resource limited settings like a primary health care facility usually lacking in central oxygen supply and limited oxygen supplies , 'BVSO' helps in emergency ventilation of two patients simultaneously at a time till a definite help arrives . 'Aerosol shield' helps in preventing aerosol blast and since this is reproduceable and cost effective it can be discarded easily after each use .