Healthcare Inspection Out-of-Operating Room Airway Management in Veterans Health Administration Medical Centers

This review was done to assess compliance with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive 2005-031, Out-of-Operating Room Airway Management. Since not all facilities have 24-hour anesthesia coverage, other clinical staff must be competent in airway management. We requested documentation from all VHA facilities with authorized inpatient beds, evaluated compliance with the Directive, and identified best practices.