Table 2 Comparison of airway management survey results in mainland China in 2016 and 2022.

Tiers of hospitals

 Tier 3

962(49.71%)

2546(67.30%)

 < 0.001

 Others

973(40.29%)

1237(32.70%)

 < 0.001

 The most common approaches to predicting difficult intubation (Top three)

Mouth opening (86.87%)

Mallampti test (55.34%)

Thyromental distance (39.27%)

Mouth opening (95.40%)

Thyromental distance (86.44%)

Atlanto − occipital joint movement (69.13%)

NA

 Have you experienced canceling or delaying surgery due to difficult airway in recent years: Yes

1224(63.24%)

1318(34.84%)

 < 0.001

Anticipated difficult airway management

 AIST

1314(67.90%)

2501(66.11%)

0.182

 GASB

295(15.25%)

844(22.31%)

 < 0.001

 RSAI

326(16.85%)

438(11.58%)

 < 0.001

Reasons for not choosing awake intubation

 Worried that patients will not accept

NA

1468(38.81%)

NA

 Unfamiliarity

1024(52.94%)

647(17.10%)

 < 0.001

 Long operation time

358(18.49%)

350(9.25%)

 < 0.001

 High failure rates

195(10.08%)

288(7.61%)

0.002

 Patient rejection

358(18.49%)

1030(27.23%)

 < 0.001

 Are anticholinergic drugs routinely used for awake intubation: Yes

NA

2541(67.17%)

NA

Will you ask for help if you encounter anticipated difficult airway

 Routinely

1665(86.04%)

2579(68.17%)

 < 0.001

 Occasionally

256(13.24%)

962(25.43%)

 < 0.001

 Handling independently

14(0.72%)

242(6.40%)

 < 0.001

What’s the biggest concern about intubation outside the OR

 Difficult airway

1351(69.84%)

2384(63.02%)

 < 0.001

 Full stomach

432(22.30%)

813(21.49%)

0.490

 Surrounding environmental impact

147(7.60%)

172(4.55%)

 < 0.001

 Hemorrhage from the respiratory tract

NA

405(10.71%)

NA

 Others

5(0.26%)

9(0.24%)

0.902

How to confirm the position of the ETT when intubating outside the OR

 Auscultation

1587 (82.02%)

2865(75.73%)

 < 0.001

 Chest rise

145(7.48%)

340(8.99%)

0.062

 Capnography

113(5.86%)

397(10.49%)

 < 0.001

 Flexible intubation scope

66(3.42%)

162(4.28%)

0.128

 Others

24(1.22%)

19(0.50%)

0.003

Have you ever performed below FONA technique

 Needle cricothyrotomy

278(14.37%)

904(23.90%)

 < 0.001

 Surgical cricothyrotomy

88(4.55%)

296(7.82%)

 < 0.001

 Tracheotomy

68(3.51%)

300(7.93%)

 < 0.001

 Have you ever attended difficult airway training: Yes

983(50.85%)

2760(72.96%)

 < 0.001

What type of devices would you most like to be trained on

 Laryngeal mask

46(2.38%)

55(1.45%)

0.016

 Videolaryngoscope

105(5.43%)

271(7.16%)

0.142

 Flexible intubation scope

509(26.30%)

1241(32.80%)

 < 0.001

 Lightwand

58(3.00%)

137(3.62%)

0.249

 Emergency airway devices

1217(62.89%)

2079(54.96%)

 < 0.001

Have you ever received the below training

 Retrograde intubation

397(20.52%)

1124(29.71%)

 < 0.001

 Needle cricothyrotomy

578(29.87%)

1964(51.92%)

 < 0.001

 Surgical cricothyrotomy

326(16.85%)

1049(27.73%)

 < 0.001

 Tracheotomy

243(12.56%)

831(21.97%)

 < 0.001

 Jet ventilation

NA

1053(27.84%)

NA

Does your department have the below devices*

 Videolaryngoscope

1410(72.91%)

1346(97.18%)

 < 0.001

 Lightwand or optical stylet

1005(51.96%)

834(60.22%)

 < 0.001

 Flexible intubation scope

771(39.87%)

871(62.89%)

 < 0.001

 Bougie or airway exchange catheter

445(23.00%)

472(34.08%)

 < 0.001

 Laryngeal mask

1818(93.89%)

1329(95.96%)

0.131

 Video laryngeal mask

NA

195(14.08%)

NA

 Video endotracheal tube

NA

166(11.99%)

NA

 Jet ventilation device

336(17.37%)

200(14.44%)

0.027

 Needle cricothyrotomy kit

538(27.82%)

501(36.17%)

 < 0.001

 Difficult airway management emergency kit or cart

659(34.07%)

676(48.81%)

 < 0.001

Has your department identified any of the below issues due to difficult airway

 Cardiac arrest without sequelae

NA

88(6.35%)

NA

 Brain damage or dead event

267(13.79%)

71(5.13%)

 < 0.001

 None of the above occurred

1668(86.21%)

1195(86.28%)

0.989

 Others

NA

31(2.24%)

NA