Skip to airway content
Post-intubation rescue
Hypoxia After Intubation
Tube-in, patient-worse hypoxia demands immediate oxygenation while the team searches for displacement, obstruction, pneumothorax/patient factors, equipment failure, and stacked breaths.
hypoxiaDOPESpost-intubationBVM
Clinical-use limit: Educational resource and cognitive-aid guide only; not a bedside order set or substitute for local protocol, medical direction, or clinical judgment.
Before intubation
- Have DOPES rescue script visible before intubation in high-risk patients.
During intubation
- Disconnect ventilator and bag with 100% O2/PEEP when appropriate.
- Check tube depth/position, suction/obstruction, pneumothorax, equipment, and auto-PEEP.
After intubation
- Correct cause, reset ventilator, and reassess SpO2, EtCO2, pressures, and hemodynamics.
Common pitfalls
- Changing ventilator settings without bagging/equipment check.
- Missing right mainstem or pneumothorax.