Use of dexmedetomidine and low-dose ketamine as conscious sedation for fibreoptic bronchoscopy intubation for temporomandibular joint ankylosis secondary to an unsuspecting childhood trauma: a case report

Abstract

Airway management in the paediatric population is known to be challenging due to its unique anatomical and physiological differences. Maxillofacial injuries further complicate airway management. To date, there is limited evidence to support the technique of airway management and the choice of drugs used in the paediatric population. This case report aims to describe the technique of conscious sedation using dexmedetomidine and ketamine to perform an awake fibreoptic intubation in the case of an 8-year-old boy with limited mouth opening due to a temporo-mandibular joint ankylosis secondary to childhood trauma. The endpoint of this case report showed that this technique proved effective with a good margin of safety in this paediatric patient with an airway concern. Further studies are needed to validate this observation.