Difficult Airway Society 2025 guidelines for tracheal intubation: thoughtful preparation for success and systematic management of failure.

Jagannathan, Narasimhan; Aziz, Michael F · Br J Anaesth · 2026

editorial · Level V

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Abstract

The DAS 2025 tracheal intubation guidelines represent a shift from rescue-based airway strategies to a focus on first-attempt success and proactive prevention of failure. Key updates include first-line videolaryngoscopy, earlier neuromuscular block, a revised ABCD approach to airway rescue, and standardised vertical-incision emergency front-of-neck access. This editorial highlights the key paradigm shifts in the 2025 update, exploring both their rationale and the practical challenges to implementation.

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