Tracheal intubation for two patients with lingual tonsil hyperplasia and prospect of difficult airway management

Lingual tonsil hyperplasia is rare, but may cause difficult or inpossible tracheal intubation. We experienced two cases of tracheal intubation for lingual tonsil hyperplasia. A 71-yr-old man was scheduled for resection and biopsy of symptomatic hypertrophied lingual tonsils. In this patient, we performed oro-tracheal intubation by rigid laryngoscopy from left oral angle, because left hypertrophied lingual tonsils are smaller than those on the right side. A 44-yr-old man was scheduled for resection of symptomatic hypertrophied lingual tonsils after lingual tonsillitis. In this patient, we performed nasotracheal intubation using fiberoptic bronchoscopy with assist of jaw-lift and tongue-extension. When an anesthesiologist can predict the abnormality of lingual tonsils, these methods might be recommended for difficult airway and intubation. However, it is necessary to prepare a difficult airway management set including laryngeal mask airway, intubating laryngeal mask airway, fiberoptic bronchos-copy and transcutaneous tracheotomy set. And most important is preliminary evaluation of airway and cautious planning of tracheal intubation.     

Fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy for evaluating a potentially difficult airway in a patient with elevated intracranial pressure

A 62-year-old man with a left temporal lobe tumor was scheduled for a semiurgent craniotomy for tumor excision. Previously, the patient had a laryngeal carcinoma that was resected and treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy and a history of laryngeal biopsy with awake fiberoptic intubation. Because a difficult airway was anticipated, awake fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy of the airway was performed under topical anesthesia in the operating room. This revealed a narrow glottic opening with no supraglottic pathology or friable tissue. Based on these airway observations, we proceeded safely with intravenous induction and secured the airway in a controlled fashion, thereby minimizing the risk of increased intracranial pressure and catastrophic complications. Nasopharyngoscopy can be used safely to evaluate the upper airway to stratify airway management in patients with a history of head and neck cancer presenting for neurosurgical procedures in the setting of elevated intracranial pressure.     

Intubation in a patient with lingual tonsil hypertrophy using an intubating laryngeal mask airway in combination with fiberoptic intubation

A 66-yr-old man was scheduled for colon resection under general anesthesia. There were no findings suggesting difficulty of airway management. After induction of anesthesia, manual ventilation via a facemask was suboptimal, but increased fresh gas flow improved it. At direct laryngoscopy after achieving muscular relaxation, the arytenoids and epiglottis could not be seen even by an expert anesthesiologist. Intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) was inserted to patient's larynx and ventilation could be continued. Tracheal intubation through ILMA was impossible because of hard resistance for inserting the endotracheal tube. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed that the hypertrophied lingual tonsil obstructed the aperture of ILMA. Several attempts were made for intubation using fiberoptic tracheal intubation technique through ILMA and finally the patient's trachea was intubated without any bleeding or swelling of laryngeal tissues. The effectiveness of ILMA for the patient with lingual tonsil hypertrophy is still unknown, but the insertion of ILMA might be considered for safe airway management in combination with a fiberscope.     

Clinical assessment of a plastic optical fiber stylet for human tracheal intubation.

BACKGROUND: The authors compared the performance of a prototype intubation aid that incorporated plastic illumination and image guides into a stylet with fiberoptic bronchoscopy and direct laryngoscopy for tracheal intubation by novice users. METHODS: In a randomized, nonblinded design, patients were assigned to direct laryngoscopy, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, or imaging stylet intubation groups. The quality of laryngeal view and ease with which it was attained for each intubation was graded by the laryngoscopist. Time to intubation was measured in 1-min increments. A sore-throat severity grade was obtained after operation. RESULTS: There were no differences in demographic, physical examination, or surgical course characteristics among the groups. The laryngoscope produced an adequate laryngeal view more easily than did the imaging stylet or bronchoscope (P = 0.001) but caused the highest incidence of postoperative sore throat (P<0.05). Although the time to intubation for direct laryngoscopy was shorter than for imaging stylet, which was shorter than fiberoptic bronchoscopy (P<0.05), the quality of laryngeal view with the imaging stylet was inferior to both direct laryngoscopy and fiberoptic bronchoscopy techniques (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Novices using the imaging stylet produce fewer cases of sore throat (compared with direct laryngoscopy) and can intubate faster than when using a bronchoscope in anesthetized adult patients. The imaging stylet may be a useful aid for tracheal intubation, especially for those unable to maintain skills with a bronchoscope.     

The intubating laryngeal mask airway with and without fiberoptic guidance

We conducted this feasibility study using the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) and a polyvinyl chloride tracheal tube to compare success rates, hemodynamic effects, and postoperative morbidity with two methods of tracheal intubation. After ethics approval and informed consent, 90 healthy ASA physical status I or II women with normal airways were enrolled in the randomized, controlled study. After a standardized inhaled anesthesia induction protocol, tracheal intubations using ILMA with fiberoptic guidance (ILMA-FOB) and ILMA inserted blindly without fiberoptic guidance (ILMA-Blind) were compared with the control group of direct laryngoscopy (laryngoscopy group). All 90 patients were successfully ventilated. For tracheal intubation, success rates were equal in all three groups (97%). Total intubation times were longer for the ILMA-FOB group (77 s versus 48.5 s for laryngoscopy and 53.5 s for ILMA-Blind). The laryngoscopy group had a larger increase in mean arterial blood pressure to tracheal intubation. There were no differences in postoperative sore throat or hoarseness among the groups. In conclusion, success rates are equally high for tracheal intubation using ILMA-Blind and ILMA-FOB techniques in women with normal airways. IMPLICATIONS: The intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) can be used as a primary airway for oxygenation and ventilation. Both methods of tracheal intubation using the ILMA were equally successful. Postoperative morbidity in the ILMA groups was similar to that in the laryngoscopy group. For women with normal airways, both the ILMA inserted blindly and the ILMA with fiberoptic guidance are suitable alternatives to laryngoscopy for tracheal intubation.     

Clinical Assessment of a Plastic Optical Fiber Stylet for Human Tracheal Intubation

Background: The authors compared the performance of a prototype intubation aid that incorporated plastic illumination and image guides into a stylet with fiberoptic bronchoscopy and direct laryngoscopy for tracheal intubation by novice users.

Methods: In a randomized, nonblinded design, patients were assigned to direct laryngoscopy, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, or imaging stylet intubation groups. The quality of laryngeal view and ease with which it was attained for each intubation was graded by the laryngoscopist. Time to intubation was measured in 1-min increments. A sore-throat severity grade was obtained after operation.

Results: There were no differences in demographic, physical examination, or surgical course characteristics among the groups. The laryngoscope produced an adequate laryngeal view more easily than did the imaging stylet or bronchoscope (P = 0.001) but caused the highest incidence of postoperative sore throat (P < 0.05). Although the time to intubation for direct laryngoscopy was shorter than for imaging stylet, which was shorter than fiberoptic bronchoscopy (P < 0.05), the quality of laryngeal view with the imaging stylet was inferior to both direct laryngoscopy and fiberoptic bronchoscopy techniques (P < 0.05).     

Anesthetic management of a patient with Ludwig's angina]

A 71-year-old woman with cellulitis of the floor of the mouth, referred to as "Ludwig's angina", underwent emergency tracheostomy under general anesthesia, for the control of airway narrowing caused by sublingual and submandibular swelling with tongue elevation. Because difficult airway had been suspected by preoperative assessment, feasible options of intubation in our hospital, including laryngeal mask, fiberoptic intubation and transtracheal jet ventilation, were prepared prior to induction of anesthesia. Anesthetic induction was carried out with propofol and suxamethonium, and subsequently tracheal intubation could be performed with difficulty under condition of partial visualization of vocal cord. Anesthetic maintenance with local anesthesia and continuous infusion of propofol 6 mg.kg-1.hr-1 was carried out during tracheostomy procedure, and this procedure was done uneventfully. Because airway control still remains a top priority in Ludwig's angina, feasible options of airway control should be prepared before induction of anesthesia if tracheostomy was required in a patient with this disease.     

Subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum after translaryngeal intubation: tracheal perforation due to unsuccessful fiberoptic tracheal intubation

A 77-year-old man was scheduled to undergo a cervical lymph node biopsy under general anesthesia. Although awake, nasotracheal fiberoptic intubation was initially planned because of an anticipated difficult airway, the attempt was unsuccessful. Orotracheal intubation was subsequently performed under direct laryngoscopy without difficulty. After initiating positive pressure mechanical ventilation, subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema developed. The cause of this emphysema was considered to be tracheal perforation after an unsuccessful attempt at fiberoptic tracheal intubation.     

创伤患者弹性插管探条引导下紧急逆行气管内插管一例

背景：保证严重颌面部外伤患者的气道安全是有一定难度的。通常情况下，使用喉镜或纤维支气管镜气管插管失败后，可通过紧急外科手术建立气道。但当外科手术仍然不能建立气道时，麻醉医师就必须采用一些新的方法来进行气道管理。但是，现有的文献很少对这些技术进行描述。方法1例创伤后颌面部变形的患者，在使用直接喉镜气管插管失败，环甲膜切开和气管切开同样失败之后，从气管破口处向头侧逆行插入弹性插管探条，使其从患者口腔内伸出。结果运用改良的逆行插管技术，从气管破口处使用弹性插管探条成功完成了插管。结论当通过外科手术仍然无法控制气道时，如果气管存在破损，则可以考虑使用弹性插管探条进行逆行插管。     

Air-Q laryngeal airway for rescue and tracheal intubation

We report the successful use of the Air-Q laryngeal airway (Air-Q LA) as a ventilatory device and a conduit for tracheal intubation to rescue the airway in a patient with difficult airway and tracheal stenosis. This is the first case report of the device to secure the airway after two episodes of hypoxemia in the operating room and intensive care unit. Consent for submission of this case report was obtained from our institution's human studies institutional review board given that the patient died a few months after his discharge from the hospital before his personal consent could be obtained and before preparation of this report. All personal identifiers that could lead to his identification have been removed from this report. A 59-year-old man was scheduled for a flexible and rigid bronchoscopy with possible laser excision of tracheal stenosis. He had a history of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes. Assessment of airway revealed a thyromental distance of 6.5 cm, Mallampati class II, and body weight of 110 kg. He had hoarseness and audible inspiratory/expiratory stridor with Spo₂ 90% breathing room air. After induction and muscle relaxation, tracheal intubation and flexible bronchoscopy were achieved without incident. The patient was then extubated and a rigid bronchoscopy was attempted but failed with Spo₂ dropping to 92%; rocuronium 60 mg was given, and reintubation was accomplished with a 7.5-mm endotracheal tube. A second rigid bronchoscopy attempt failed, with Spo₂ dropping to 63%. Subsequent direct laryngoscopy revealed a bloody hypopharynx. A size 4.5 Air-Q LA was placed successfully and confirmed with capnography, and Spo₂ returned to 100%. The airway was suctioned through the Air-Q LA device, and the airway was secured using a fiberoptic bronchoscope to place an endotracheal tube of 7.5-mm internal diameter. The case was canceled because of edema of the upper airway from multiple attempts with rigid bronchoscopy. The patient was transported to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). During day 2 of his SICU stay, he accidentally self-extubated and Spo₂ dropped to 20% prompting a code blue call. A size 4.5 Air-Q LA was successfully placed by the anesthesia resident on call and Spo₂ rose to 100%. The airway was then secured after suction of bloody secretions and visualization of edematous vocal cords with a fiberoptic bronchoscope and proper placement of an endotracheal tube of 7.5-mm internal diameter, confirmed by capnography. During the short period of hypoxemia, the patient's blood pressure, heart rate, and electrocardiogram had remained stable. On the sixth day of SICU admission, he underwent surgical tracheostomy and laser excision of a stenotic tracheal lesion, returned to the SICU, was weaned off mechanical ventilation, and discharged 2 weeks later to a rehabilitation center with stable ventilatory capabilities. This case demonstrates successful use of the Air-Q LA in the emergency loss of airway scenario as a ventilatory device and as a conduit for endotracheal intubation when fiberoptic bronchoscopy alone may be difficult and hazardous. This case suggests the need for further evaluation of the impact of the Air-Q LA on outcomes when used as a rescue device and conduit for tracheal intubation in patient with disease activity.     

Fiberoptic nasal intubation in a patient with huge laryngeal cyst

Huge laryngeal cyst is rare, but may cause difficulty or inability in tracheal intubation during induction of general anesthesia. A 69-year-old patient was scheduled for laryngomicroscopic cystectomy. In this patient, we examined two methods of oro-tracheal intubation either with rigid laryngoscopy or flexible fiberscopy using transnasal fiberoptic monitoring. Direct laryngoscopy failed to expose the epiglottis because of large cyst being fragile and easy to bleed. And even oral fiberscopy intubation was also difficult since a large mass hindered acquiring a suitable view. However, trans-nasal fiberscopy monitoring could guide the oro-tracheal fiber into the trachea for intubation. When an anesthesiologist can predict the abnormality of epiglottis, this combination might be recommended for difficult airway and intubation. Postoperative respiratory management under intubating state was necessary because of bleeding, airway edema, and deviation of the larynx after tumor resection. We reported anesthetic management of a patient with epiglottis gigantic cyst occupying the laryngopharyngeal airway. It is a rare tumor leading to difficulty of induction of anesthesia and necessitating postoperative intubated respiratory care.     

The chewing of betel quid and oral submucous fibrosis and anesthesia

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a premalignant lesion of the buccal mucosa caused by chewing betel quid. It results in progressive inability to open the mouth. OSMF causes difficulty in laryngoscopy and intubation of the trachea. Patients with OSMF require anesthesia for trismus correction, resection, and reconstructive (oncoplastic) surgery for coexisting oral malignancies or other unrelated surgeries. Our review of the anesthetics of 44 patients with oral malignancies suggested that 8 had OSMF. The preoperative airway assessment, including the Mallampati score and the clinical Tumor Node Metastasis stage, were useful in predicting the need for fiberoptic intubation. Patients with oral malignancies and OSMF had increased requirement for fiberoptic endotracheal intubations (62.5%) compared with those without OSMF (44.4%). Three different techniques of airway management (tracheal intubation after direct laryngoscopy, fiberoptic tracheal intubation, and tracheostomy) in four patients with OSMF are described. OSMF contributes to the development of the malignancy, delays the diagnoses, and complicates the anesthetic management.     

Hemodynamic and catecholamine response to tracheal intubation: direct laryngoscopy compared with fiberoptic intubation

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the stress response following tracheal intubation using direct laryngoscopy to that using fiberoptic bronchoscopy technique. DESIGN: Randomized, prospective study. SETTING: Operating rooms in a teaching hospital. PATIENTS: 51 ASA physical status I and II patients who were scheduled for an elective surgery with general anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either direct laryngoscopy or fiberoptic orotracheal intubation, as part of general anesthesia. A uniform protocol of anesthetic medications was used. MEASUREMENTS: Blood pressure and heart rate were measured before induction, before endotracheal intubation, and 1, 2, 3, and 5 minutes afterwards. Catecholamine (epinephrine and norepinephrine) blood samples were drawn before the induction, and 1 and 5 minutes after intubation. MAIN RESULTS: Duration of intubation was shorter in the direct laryngoscopy group (16.9 (16.9 +/- 7.0 sec, range 8 to 40) compared with the fiberoptic intubation group (55.0 +/- 22.5 sec, range 29 to 120), p < 0.0,001. In both groups, blood pressure and heart rate were significantly increased at 1, 2, and 3 minutes after intubation, but there was no significant difference between the two study groups. Catecholamine levels did not increase after intubation and did not correlate with the hemodynamic changes. CONCLUSIONS: The use of either direct laryngoscopy or fiberoptic bronchoscopy produces a comparable stress response to tracheal intubation. Catecholamine levels do not correlate with the hemodynamic changes.     

Airway access using an endotracheal tube changer for safe extubation in an infant with a difficult airway

We present a case where airway access was maintained using an endotracheal tube changer (ETC) after extubation in an infant with a difficult airway. A 4-month-old male infant with bilateral cleft lip and palate, micrognathia, schizencephaly, undescended testis, and abnormality of chromosomes 10 was scheduled for bilateral cleft lip repair. After anesthesia induction with thiamylal and vecuronium, we found that laryngoscopy was difficult (Cormack and Lehane grade III) despite external laryngeal compression. Since there was no fiberoptic bronchoscopy for an infant in our department, and the fact that epiglottis could be visualized with external laryngeal compression, three anesthesiologists attempted tracheal intubation in turn and intubation was successful at last. The surgery was concluded uneventfully; but since endotracheal intubation had been difficult, special care was taken for extubation. We used an ETC for tracheal tube passing into the endotracheal tube at the time of extubation. Although using the ETC in infant with difficult airway for extubation remains controversial, we believe that for a difficult airway, even in an infant, a flexible ETC is a useful device for temporal airway access after extubation.     

Difficult airway management due to obesity and lingual tonsillar hyperplasia

We experienced anesthesia for a female patient of BMI 39.2 with unanticipated lingual tonsillar hyperplasia. At the induction of anesthesia, both mask ventilation and tracheal intubation were difficult due to the lingual tonsillar hyperplasia. However, tracheal intubation was performed by Intubating LMA with the fiberoptic bronchoscopy. After the placing of TE (the catheter for tracheal tube exchanger), the tracheal tube was extubated without any airway trouble. Following the extubation, the opening of the respiratory tract was evaluated by TE and the fiberoptic bronchoscopy. In this case we confirmed that the ASA difficult airway algorithm was also useful in the presence of lingual tonsillar hyperplasia.     

Unexpected difficult intubation caused by a laryngeal web

We report a case of unexpected difficult intubation in an adult caused by a laryngeal web. A 43-year-old woman with uterine myoma was scheduled for abdominal hysterectomy. After induction of anesthesia, the vocal cords were seen clearly under laryngoscopy. Although intubation was attempted several times, a 6.5 mm internal diameter tracheal tube could not be passed below the level of the vocal cords because of resistance, and we used a laryngeal mask during anesthesia. Next morning after the operation, she developed dyspnea. Bronchoscopy revealed a very narrow airway below the level of vocal cords caused by a laryngeal web. Tracheostomy was performed. Two weeks later, tracheostomy was closed without any sequela.     

Intubação traqueal difícil com fibra óptica em bebê de um mês de idade com síndrome de Treacher Collins

Neonates and small infants with craniofacial malformation may be very difficult or impossible to mask ventilate or intubate. We would like to report the fiberoptic intubation of a small infant with Treacher Collins Syndrome using the technique described by Ellis et al.

Use of the intubating laryngeal mask airway to facilitate awake orotracheal intubation in patients with cervical spine disorders.

Airway management in patients with unstable cervical spines remains a challenge for anesthesia providers. Because neurologic evaluations may be required following tracheal intubation and positioning for the surgical procedure, an awake intubation technique is desirable in this patient population. In this report, we describe the use of an intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) to facilitate awake tracheal intubation in two patients with cervical spine disorders. After topical local analgesia, the ILMA was inserted easily, and a tracheal tube was passed through the glottic opening without complications. Thus, the ILMA may be an acceptable alternative to the fiberoptic bronchoscope for awake tracheal intubation.     

The intubating laryngeal mask airway in failed fibreoptic intubation

PURPOSE: Prediction of difficult tracheal intubation is not always reliable and management with fibreoptic intubation is not always successful. We describe two cases in which blind intubation through the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA FasTrach) succeeded after fibreoptic intubation failed. CLINICAL FEATURES: The first patient, a 50 yr old man, was scheduled for elective craniotomy for intracerebral tumour. Difficulty with intubation was not anticipated. Manual ventilation was easily performed following induction of general anesthesia, but direct laryngoscopy revealed only the tip of the epiglottis. Intubation attempts with a styletted 8.0 mm endotracheal tube and with the fibreoptic bronchoscope were unsuccessful. A #5 FasTrach was inserted through which a flexible armored cuffed 8.0 mm silicone tube passed into the trachea at the first attempt. The second patient, a 43 yr old man, presented with limited mouth opening, swelling of the right submandibular gland that extended into the retropharynx and tracheal deviation to the left. He was scheduled for urgent tracheostomy. Attempted awake fibreoptic orotracheal intubation under topical anesthesia showed gross swelling of the pharyngeal tissues and only fleeting views of the vocal cords. A #4 FasTrach was easily inserted, a clear airway obtained and a cuffed 8.0 mm silicone tube passed into the trachea at the first attempt. CONCLUSION: The FasTrach may facilitate blind tracheal intubation when fibreoptic intubation is unsuccessful.     

A comparison of bullard laryngoscope and intubating laryngeal mask using fiberoptic guidance for tracheal intubation

The purpose of this study is to compare the success rate of tracheal intubation, intubation time and laryngoscopic view of the larynx by Bullard laryngoscope or by intubating laryngeal mask using fiberoptic guidance in 50 patients. Following a standardized induction protocol, conventional laryngoscopic view by Macintosh's laryngoscope was obtained and classified by Cormack's grades. We measured the times from incertion of laryngoscopy or laryngeal mask until obtaining the best view of the larynx and until tracheal intubation. A best view by Bullard laryngoscopy or by fiberoscopy through the laryngeal mask was classified by Cormack's grades. The success rate of tracheal intubation was higher by Bullard laryngoscopy than by intubating laryngeal mask. The durations of laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation were significantly shorter and Cormack's grades were significantly lower by Bullard laryngoscopy than by laryngeal mask and fiberscopy. These results demonstrate that tracheal intubation by Bullard laryngoscope is faster and more successful compared with intubating laryngeal mask using fiberoptic guidance.