The Difficult Airway Course Announces Alumni Award Winner

We are pleased to announce the first winner of The Difficult Airway Course Alumni Award – Dr. Thomas Betjeman! Dr. Betjeman was nominated by Darren Braude, MD, Medical Director for The Difficult Airway Course: EMS. Read the full story in Dr. Braude’s nomination below:

A male patient in his 70s presented to the ED of a rural critical access hospital c/o sore throat and difficulty breathing. The patient had marked posterior pharyngeal edema and was suspected to have a deep space infection. The ED physician treating him immediately recognized the need for intubation and the potential difficulty in all four basic airway domains: mask ventilation, extraglottic airway rescue, intubation, and surgical airway. However, he had not yet been trained in awake intubation techniques. Thomas Betjeman, the family medicine hospitalist on duty, however, had recently taken The Difficult Airway Course: Emergency. Dr. Betjeman helped his colleague perform an uncomplicated but “tricky” awake nasal endoscopic intubation, his first since the lab session at the Course. The patient was then transferred, underwent surgical drainage and had an outstanding outcome.

For applying his new skills, helping a colleague, and making a huge difference in a patient’s life, we are pleased to present Dr. Thomas Betjeman The Difficult Airway Course Alumni Award.

Congratulations Dr. Betjeman!

Note: We are always accepting nominations (even self-nominations!) for The Difficult Airway Course Alumni Award. Send your nomination to alumniaward@theairwaysite.com. The Alumni Award winner and the person who submitted the nomination will each receive one free 1-year subscription to Airway Manager: Emergency, our on-line CME program designed to help all members of the airway team master and retain their airway management knowledge.