Bronchospasm during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy under sedation

We experienced a case of bronchospasm during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy under sedation. An 80-year-old man came to our hospital with abdominal distension with pain, nausea and vomiting. He has the history of splenectomy, cholecystectomy for hemolytic anemia and thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer, surgery for bilateral shoulder joints and diabetes. Abdominal X-ray suggested obstruction of the small intestine. On the third hospital day, gastrointestinal endoscopy was scheduled for insertion of a long ileus tube. Under sedation with diazepam 10 mg and local anesthesia of the pharynx with lidocaine spray 24 mg, the endoscope was inserted and when it reached the esophageal-gastrojunction, respiratory rate increased to 30 breaths.min-1 with expiratory stridor. The endoscope was removed immediately. He was oro-tracheally intubated and artificially ventilated. On the fourth hospital day, he was extubated under bronchoscopy. No abnormalities were observed in the trachea, vocal cord, pharynx and larynx. Later, it was revealed that he had a history of hoarseness and dysphasia. His left recurrent nerve and cervical nerve had been resected with thyroid and right cervical nerve anastomosed to the rest of the left recurrent nerve. The insertion of upper gastrointestinal endoscope might have induced bronchospasm stimulating distal esophageal afferent vagal reflex partly by regurgitation of gastric acid under sedation.