Safe Airway Research Articles

Endotracheal Intubation Using a Flexible Intubation Endoscope As a Standardized Model for Safe Airway Management in Swine.

Endotracheal intubation is often a basic requirement for translational research in porcine models for various interventions that require a secured airway or high ventilation pressures. Endotracheal intubation is a challenging skill,requiring a minimum number of successful endotracheal intubations to achieve a high success rate under optimal conditions, which is often unachievable for non-anaesthesiology researchers. Due to the specific porcine airway anatomy, a difficult airway can usually be assumed. The impossibility of establishing a secure airway can result in injury, adverse events, or death of the laboratory animal. Using a prospective, randomized, controlled evaluation approach, it has been shown that fiberoptic-assisted endotracheal intubation takes longer but has a higher first-pass success rate than conventional intubation without causing clinically relevant drops in oxygen saturation. This model presents a standardized regimen for endoscopically guided endotracheal intubation, providing a secured airway, especially for researchers who are inexperienced in the technique of endotracheal intubation via direct laryngoscopy. This procedure is expected to minimize animal suffering and unnecessary animal losses.

Comparison of the clinical performance of I-Gel and ambu aura gain-supra-glottic airway devices in paediatric patients under controlled ventilation

: I-Gel and Ambu Aura Gain are two novel second generation supra-glottic airway devices available for airway management and can be used safely and effectively in paediatric patients under controlled ventilation with adequate airway seal. The aim of our study was to compare efficacy of I-Gel and Ambu Aura Gain in providing safe and adequate airway seal in paediatric patients under controlled ventilation. A prospective, randomized, single blind clinical study was carried out on total 60 paediatric patients with ASA grade I & II, 3-10 years age, undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia. The patients were randomly assigned into Group I (I-Gel) (n=30) and Group-A (Ambu Aura Gain) (n=30) using randomizer software. I-Gel was inserted using “finger technique” and Ambu Aura Gain with simple insertion technique. We assessed effective airway insertion time, time required for insertion of the device, ease and number of attempts for airway and gastric tube insertion, oropharyngeal leak pressure, haemodynamic parameters and complications. Statistical analysis was done using the MedCalc software, student’s paired t- test, unpaired t-test and chi-square test. Effective airway insertion time (p=0.1671), ease and numer of airway insertion attempts were comparable amongst both groups. Oropharyngeal leak pressure was significantly higher in group I (22.366±1.4735 of H2O) than in group A (20.8±1.01 cm of H2O), p value = 0.0001. Airway seal of Ambu Aura Gain is lesser compared to I-Gel. I-Gel can be used with better safety and efficacy for controlled ventilation in paediatric patients. I-Gel provides higher oropharyngeal seal pressure, which gives higher safety against risk of aspiration and air leak than Ambu Aura Gain, yet oropharyngeal seal pressure of Ambu Aura Gain is adequate that it allows its use during controlled ventilation under general anaesthesia. Hence, both devices can be used alternatively.

Sverzut Nasotracheal Tube Support Device: Ergonomic Management and Airway Safety in Cervicomaxillofacial Surgery.

Nasotracheal intubation is the preferred route for general anesthesia maintenance in patients undergoing maxillofacial surgery or dental procedures. However, compression of the tracheal tube may cause superficial necrosis of the nasal wing and deformation of the external nose. Thus, proper fixation of the tracheal tube during nasotracheal intubation is important for the patient's safety as well as that of the medical staff. Recently, a nasotracheal tube support device has been developed; thus, in this study, the aim was to present and describe the Sverzut nasotracheal tube support device and discuss the advantages of its use during nasal intubation in cervicomaxillofacial surgery. Findings from this study show that the Sverzut nasotracheal tube support device can contribute to the stabilization of the nasotracheal tube and all its connectors, aiding in the maintenance of the airway patency and minimizing the complications related to this type of intubation.

Anesthetic (r)evolution from the conventional concept to the minimally invasive techniques in thoracic surgery-narrative review.

Background and ObjectiveThanks to the growing experience with the non-intubated anesthetic and surgical techniques, most pulmonary resections can now be performed by using minimally invasive techniques. The conventional method, i.e., surgery on the intubated, ventilated patient under general anesthesia with one-lung ventilation (OLV) was considered necessary for the major thoracoscopic lung resections for all patients. An adequate analgesic approach (regional or epidural anesthesia) allows video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) to be performed in anesthetized patients and thus the potential adverse effects related to general anesthesia and mechanical OLV can be minimized.MethodsMultiple medical literature databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus) were searched, using the terms [(non-intubated) OR (nonintubated) OR (tubeless) OR (awake)] AND [(thoracoscopic surgery)] from 2004 to December 2021. Thirty hundred and six scientific papers were collected. The editorials, commentaries, letters, and papers were excluded, that focus on other than the non-intubated (aka awake or tubeless) VATS technique, as well as the full text scientific papers available in languages other than English.Key Content and FindingsAfter reviewing the literature, we identified “schools” with different techniques but with very similar results. Most of the differences were in the anesthetic technique, oxygenation and analgesia, however, the immunological results, and the qualitative parameters (inpatient hospital care days, complication rate, mortality) of the perioperative period showed great similarity, in addition, all three schools identified the same risk factors (hypoxia, hypercapnia, airway safety). The combination of spontaneous ventilation with double lumen tube intubation, called VATS-spontaneous ventilation with intubation (SVI) method seems to be suitable for reducing these risk factors, which may serve as an alternative for patients not suitable for the non-intubated technique in the near future.ConclusionsBased on the results, non-intubated thoracic surgery appears to be an increasingly widespread, safe procedure, that will be available to a wider range of patients as experience expands and by the implication of the constantly evolving new processes.

Kraniyosinostozis Cerrahisinde Anestezi Uygulamaları

Craniosynostosis is premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures. In isolated craniosynostosis, surgical procedures are applied to ensure normal brain development and normal cognitive functions, to correct cosmetic deformities in order to prevent psychosocial negative consequences. The fact that they are mostly infants, combined with significant blood loss in the perioperative period, makes these cases challenging for the anesthetist. Ensuring airway safety, coping with metabolic complications related to blood transfusions and infusion of electrolyte fluids, preventing hypothermia, postoperative pain management, treatment of nausea and vomiting are the main subjects of anesthesia management. Excellent results can be obtained with proper preoperative planning, monitoring and timely blood and fluid infusion. Keywords: Craniosynostosis, anesthesia, neurosurgery

Human Factors and Airway Management in COVID-19 Patients: The Perfect Storm?

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic heavily impacted healthcare workers, increasing their physical and psychological workload. Specifically, COVID-19 patients’ airway management is definitely a challenging task regarding both severe and acute respiratory failure and the risk of contagion while performing aerosol-generating procedures. The category of anesthesiologists and intensivists, the main actors of airway management, showed a poor psychological well-being and a high stress and burnout risk. Identifying and better defining the specific main SARS-CoV-2-related stressors can help them deal with and effectively plan a strategy to manage these patients in a more confident and safer way. In this review, we therefore try to analyze the relevance of human factors and non-technical skills when approaching COVID-19 patients. Lessons from the past, such as National Audit Project 4 recommendations, have taught us that safe airway management should be based on preoperative assessment, the planning of an adequate strategy, the optimization of setting and resources and the rigorous evaluation of the scenario. Despite, or thanks to, the critical issues and difficulties, the “take home lesson” that we can translate from SARS-CoV-2 to every airway management is that there can be no more room for improvisation and that creating teamwork must become a priority.

Dysphagia Presentation, Airway Invasion, and Gender Differences in a Clinically Based Sample of People with Parkinson's Disease.

Dysphagia in People with Parkinson's Disease (PWPD) is expected to occur in most individuals. The manifestation of dysphagia and its salient swallow dysfunction characteristics leading to decreased airway safety are not well understood. The aim of this study was to quantify dysphagia presentation and severity, examine contributors to airway invasion, and explore gender differences in dysphagia manifestation in PWPD. 60 PWPD in clinical, healthcare settings underwent a Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study (VFSS) after referral for complaints of dysphagia. VFSS records and videos were analyzed to obtain dysphagia diagnosis, Videofluoroscopic Dysphagia Scale (VDS) scores, laryngeal vestibule kinematic timings, and Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores. Frequencies of VDS component and PAS scores were examined. MANOVA and logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of penetration and aspiration. Pharyngeal stage dysphagia was prevalent throughout PWPD and presented more frequently than oral stage dysphagia. Pharyngeal residue was a significant predictor for aspiration events. Laryngeal vestibule closure reaction time (LVCrt) and duration time (LVCd) were significant predictors of airway invasion, as were bolus consistency and volume. LVCrt, LVCd, and pharyngeal stage VDS scores were significantly altered in men compared to women in PWPD. A broad clinical sample of PWPD displayed atypical frequencies of airway invasion and frequent atypical scores of oral and pharyngeal stage physiologies. Thicker and smaller bolus consistencies significantly reduced the odds of airway invasion. Men and women presented with significantly different swallow physiology including prolonged LVCrt, LVCd, and more frequent atypical scores of pharyngeal residue and laryngeal elevation.Journal instruction requires a country for affiliations; however, these are missing in affiliation [1, 2]. Please verify if the provided country are correct and amend if necessary.Yes, USA is correct as the provided country.

Tracheobronchial intubation using flexible bronchoscopy in children with Pierre Robin sequence: Nursing considerations for complications.

BACKGROUNDIt has been shown that children with Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) have a higher risk of difficult intubation before surgery. When mask ventilation or tracheobronchial intubation is expected to be challenging, flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is advantageous in airway safety when it is used to guide tracheobronchial intubation (TI). AIMTo evaluate the complications of TI using FB in children with PRS and explore the effect of nursing services on postoperative complications.METHODSOne hundred and five children with PRS underwent TI using FB before early mandibular distraction osteogenesis. One hundred and eight children with common pneumonia who did not have a difficult airway were set as the control group. Demographic data, success rates of TI, time required for TI, number of TI attempts, and the incidence of postoperative complications were assessed. Besides, the strategies used to attenuate complications were investigated.RESULTSThe success rate of TI was 100% in children with PRS, while the success rate at the first attempt in the PRS group was significantly lower than that in the control group (88.6% vs 98.2%, P = 0.005). The time required for TI in the PRS group was markedly longer than that in the control group (P < 0.001). Children in the PRS group required repetitive operations to enter the glottis successfully (P = 0.017). The incidence of complications was noticeably higher in the PRS group (50/105, 47.6%) than in the control group (36/108, 33.3%) (P = 0.034). Seven of 105 PRS children experienced laryngeal edema (LE) (6.7%), compared with one (0.9%) in the control group (P = 0.034). Out of the seven patients who had LE, all were reintubated and managed with steroids: six recovered with inhaled steroids alone before extubated, and one was given systemic corticosteroids before recovery. CONCLUSIONFB contributes to a high success rate of TI in children with PRS. To prevent LE, operators should pay more attention to catheter material, catheter lubrication and intubation time.

Airway Consideration in Maxillofacial Trauma

Management of airway is the most important concern in critically injured patient with life-threatening injuries for an anesthesiologist as well as primary caregiver as it may distort airway anatomy as well as destabilize the cervical spine. These patients are potentially difficult candidates for mask ventilation and endotracheal intubation. Additionally, these patients are prone to regurgitation as they may have full stomach condition. The requirement of maxillofacial surgery is free access to the oral cavity; thus, securing alternate methods to maintain a safe airway is the primary priority. To improve the clinical outcome of these patients, there should be mutual cooperation between the anesthesiologist, maxillofacial surgeon, and ENT surgeon (for emergency tracheostomy, if needed). In this review, we are discussing primary management in emergency, relevant anatomy, difficulty in securing patent airway, and possible approach for airway management in maxillofacial trauma patients.

Ventilatory management in shared airway surgery: current status, challenges, and future directions

A shared airway during anesthesia refers to maintaining the airway and ventilation of the patient by the anesthesiologist as the surgeon performs the procedures in the same anatomic space. Due to the narrow airway space in shared airway surgery, the difficulty lies both in the exposure of surgery field and implementation of the optimized airway management strategy and maintaining the airway safety in clinical practice. In recent years, many new visualized airway management tools and supraglottic ventilation devices have been invented and verified in clinical settings. Especially, the development of tubeless supraglottic oxygenation and ventilation technique provides new insights into the airway management. This review intends to provide a reference for future innovations in airway management tools and ventilation techniques by summarizing previous airway management strategies of shared airway surgery to benefit more patients.

Kittredge Lecture: Airway Safety in Neonatal and Pediatrics.

During invasive ventilatory support, infants and children are inherently at risk for developing injury or complications related to the insertion and maintenance of an endotracheal tube (ETT). It is essential for respiratory therapists to understand the factors that contribute to the propensity for harm while preparing for, inserting, securing, and maintaining the position of an ETT throughout the duration of use. Implementing care bundles based on the available literature is useful in reducing iatrogenic complications as well as the risk for morbidity and mortality of pediatric patients requiring an ETT to facilitate respiratory support.

Caustic Ingestion

Caustic ingestions are rare, life-threatening injuries with life-long consequences. Injury can occur anywhere from the lips to stomach but tends to be most severe in the esophagus. Aspiration of caustic substances can lead to laryngeal or tracheobronchial injury and airway compromise. Caustic injuries come in two main varieties: acidic and alkaline-induced injuries. The type and state of agent determines in part the location of injury and depth of injury. Management consists of comprehensive evaluation and stabilization and must consider airway safety. Endoscopic evaluation and staging of the esophagus should be done within 24 hours of ingestion but not before 6 hours. Nasogastric tube placement should be considered based on the stage of the injury. Antibiotics, acid-suppressants, and corticosteroids may have a roll for certain patients but must be determined on an individual basis. Long-term follow up is required to monitor for strictures and patients with caustic esophageal injury are at increased risk of esophageal carcinoma. This review will help both junior and senior Otolaryngology residents recognize, evaluate and manage causing ingestions in pediatric patients. This review contains figures, tables, and references Keywords: Caustic ingestion, acid, alkali, endoscopic grading, strictures, mitomycin C, balloon dilatation

Cricoid Pressure: Contradictory Evidence Regarding a Standard Practice.

The purpose of applying cricoid pressure is to prevent pulmonary aspiration of regurgitated gastric contents during airway management in mask-ventilated patients who are at risk of aspiration. Providers may apply cricoid pressure during induction and intubation if they expect a difficult intubation or if the patient has a high risk for regurgitation. Although the application of cricoid pressure has been accepted as a standard practice worldwide, controversy persists because pulmonary aspiration can occur even when cricoid pressure is applied. The perioperative nurse should have thorough knowledge of the anatomy of the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, be able to demarcate the surface landmarks of the neck, and be skilled in applying cricoid pressure properly and safely. This article discusses cricoid pressure in the context of safe airway management as well as the perioperative nurse's role as an assistant to the anesthesia professional when applying cricoid pressure.

Tracheostomy and Laryngectomy Airway Safety Events: An Analysis of Patient Safety Reports From 84 Hospitals

Background: Tracheostomy- and laryngectomy-related airway safety events can lead to life-threatening situations, permanent harm, or death. We conducted a statewide population-based study to learn about these events and the relationship with associated factors, interventions, and outcomes to identify potential areas for improvement. Methods: We queried the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) to find tracheostomy- and laryngectomy-related airway safety event reports involving adults age 18 years and older that occurred between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020. Results: Reports related to tracheostomies and laryngectomies accounted for 97.3% and 2.7% of the total, respectively. The four most frequent tracheostomy-related complications were unplanned decannulations, 71.4%; uncontrolled bleeding/hemorrhage, 9.2%; and partial/total occlusion and mucus plug/thick secretions, which each accounted for 6.9%. Conclusions: Safe airway management for patients with a tracheostomy or laryngectomy requires staff who are knowledgeable and confident, and have the necessary skills and equipment to provide immediate attention when complications arise. We discuss potential safety strategies to reduce the risk of unplanned decannulations, uncontrolled bleeding/hemorrhage, and partial/total occlusions, as well as issues related to equipment, knowledge/training, and communication.

System-Based Multidisciplinary Initiatives for Improvement in Tracheostomy Care and Safety: Experience of an Academic Health Institution Hospital Network

Tracheostomized patients represent a unique patient population at risk of life-threatening airway compromise. There can be a presumption that these patients have a “safe” or low-risk airway. Clinicians and other care providers may be unfamiliar with both tracheostomy tubes and best practices for tracheostomy maintenance, assessment, and emergency triage or resuscitation. A review of the highest- acuity emergency airway calls at our university hospital revealed that well over 20% of the emergencies that triggered these activations were in patients with existing tracheostomy tubes. Further analysis of the tracheostomy-related airway emergencies at that time was very informative. Under the auspices of our multidisciplinary airway safety committee, we developed a core tracheostomy-focused team and implemented numerous quality and safety initiatives. Here we present a focused review and discussion of tracheostomy-related clinical issues at the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) and a summary of quality and safety improvement efforts related to the care of tracheostomized patients based on responses to locally identified safety opportunities. Our experience with tracheostomy-related quality improvement (QI) efforts led us to reach out to the Patient Safety Authority. The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) data presented by Gardner et al. highlights the categories of airway-related events documented across a range of facilities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We frame our efforts in the context of both the PA-PSRS data and international perspectives from the U.K. and highlight barriers to implementation and learnings from our iterative and interdisciplinary approach to tracheostomy-related challenges.

Bilateral Parapharyngeal Abscess Complicated with Trismus, Airway Obstruction and Bleeding

Bilateral parapharyngeal abscess is a very rare condition. Placing pressure on the airway on both sides increases the risk of respiratory arrest. Intubation cannot be performed due to the trismus caused by the infection in the mastication muscles, and the need to create an emergency airway can only be provided by invasive means. The adjacency of the region to major vessels and their branches can lead to massive hemorrhages since the infection erodes the vascular wall. In a case of bilateral parapharyngeal abscesses which resulted in respiratory arrest due to the trismus, we were able to ensure airway safety using a coniotomy and subsequent tracheotomy. The presence of massive hemorrhages on both sides in the early postoperative period caused us to remain constantly vigilant until the full recovery of the patient in terms of clinical, laboratory and radiological parameters.

Our experience in developing and operating the Airway Intervention Registry for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (AIR-RRP): national data collection

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is characterised by benign wart-like growths in the respiratory tract caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). These warts vary in size and grow quickly, causing voice changes and airway obstruction. Whilst the condition is rare, RRP is more common and aggressive in children. There is currently no curative treatment for HPV, therefore RRP is managed by maintaining a safe airway and a serviceable voice by repeated surgery to remove the growths. A lack of specific diagnostic codes prevents reliable case ascertainment of RRP from routine administrative databases such as Hospital Episode Statistics. To determine RRP burden in the UK, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of ENT consultants; 283 responded, identifying 918 RRP patients, half of whom received surgical intervention for RRP in the previous 12 months with 16 different interventions reported. Randomised controlled trials for RRP interventions are difficult due to the rarity of the disease, variation in severity and progression and non-standard care across the NHS. Consequently, there is a lack of definitive efficacy and safety evidence. The only national guidance for RRP interventions is “Radiofrequency cold ablation for respiratory papillomatosis” (NICE IPG434, 2017) which recommended further data collection due to lack of evidence. However, due to the wide variation in RRP management across the NHS, clinical opinion favoured that any data collection should include a comparison of safety and efficacy of all RRP interventions in order to advise which improved patient outcomes and quality of life. To address lack of evidence, and inform the future care of RRP patients, we developed a registry and used it to collect real-world data from patients receiving treatment for RRP in NHS hospitals across the UK. The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learned from this national data collection exercise to inform future clinical registry development.

Apneic Technique in Laryngotracheal Surgery.

BackgroundApneic oxygenation can be applied to select laryngotracheal procedures to improve operative visualization and avoid potential complications associated with intubation and jet ventilation. Aims/objectivesThe authors sought to determine if apneic oxygenation using a high-flow nasal cannula could be used as a safe alternative airway management strategy for the duration of select laryngotracheal procedures.MethodsSingle institution, multi-site retrospective review of 38 adult (>18 years old) patients undergoing apneic oxygenation in the setting of various laryngotracheal procedures from January 2017 through January 2018. Humidified oxygen was delivered via a high-flow nasal cannula. The data was collected and analyzed using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC).ResultsTwenty-four women and 14 men, mean age 60.0 years (SD 16.1; 36-89) and 70.1 years (SD 7.2; 56-81), respectively, underwent a mean total apneic time of 23.9 minutes (13-40). A statistically significant correlation existed between apneic time and minimum oxygen saturation (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.38; p=0.018). Twenty-one patients resumed spontaneous ventilation without the need for jet ventilation, mask ventilation, or placement of a definitive airway during the procedure. Conclusions and significanceApneic oxygenation allows for extended periods of operating without the need for the placement of an endotracheal tube in patients undergoing general anesthesia for select laryngotracheal procedures.

Prevalence of Airway Abnormality after Tracheotomy at a Tertiary Safety Net Children’s Hospital

Introduction: Over 4500 pediatric tracheotomies are performed an-nually in the United States. However, there is no consensus on the appropriate time for surveillance endoscopy. The St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children implemented the Trach Safe Initiative to improve airway safety in tracheotomy-dependent children. A major component of this initiative is surveillance endoscopy. The objectives of this study are to describe the prevalence of abnormal airway changes in trach dependent patients, to identify and describe the frequency of airway interventions, and to ultimately minimize morbidity in this population. Method: A report consisting of a list of patients meeting our inclusion criteria was generated using CPT codes for tracheotomy and direct bronchoscopy and laryngoscopy at SCHC. A retrospective chart review of patients under the age of 18 who has had a tracheotomy from 2010 to 2020 was conducted in order to describe airway abnormalities after tracheotomy quantitatively andqualitatively. Result: 55 patients met inclusion criteria and were included in our study. Our study found the overall rate of abnormal findings onen-doscopy after tracheotomy is 72.7 % (p &lt; 0.05). The average time from tracheotomy to the time of initial surveillance endoscopy at SCHC was 884 days (95%CI 684 -1084). The most common abnormal finding was granulation tissue (29.1%), followed by supra-stomal collapse (12.7%), and subglottic stenosis (12.7%). 58.2% of patients undergoing endoscopy had an intervention. The most common intervention during endoscopy was excision of granulation tissue (25.4%) and trach change (23.6%) followed by tracheoplasty/stomoplasty (7.2%). Conclusion:Our study found a high rate of airway abnormality on surveillance endoscopy with a significant percentage of our patients requiring airway intervention. Our findings necessitate a guideline for routine surveillance endoscopy for our tracheotomy patients and the development of a database tracking airway abnormalities of patients in order to prepare a safe airway plan.

Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity: Evaluation of Awareness and Knowledge Levels of Anesthesia Technicians

Objective: The aim of our study is to measure the levels of knowledge about the systemic toxicity of local anesthetics among anesthesia technicians, who will be the first to recognize local anesthetic systemic toxicity in the absence of an anesthesiologist or related physician. Materials and Methods: A total of 196 anesthesia technicians working at different hospitals were included in the study. A questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The data obtained were evaluated statistically using IBM SSPS Statistics 25.0 for Windows. Results: When the distribution of the participants according to knowledge of systemic toxicity was examined, it was seen that 56.1% of the participants answered “yes” to having such knowledge, 24% of the participants said “no,” and 19.9% of the participants did not remember. Regarding what must be done urgently in the event of local anesthetic systemic toxicity development, 74% of the participants said that the administration of local anesthetic should be stopped, 84.2% said that airway safety should be ensured, 100% said that oxygen should be administered, 65.3% said that a call for help should be made, 65.8% said that preparations for tracheal intubation should be started, 66.3% said that a safe venous line should be opened, 30.1% said that convulsions should be treated, and 51% said that a 20% lipid solution should be administered. Conclusion: Based on our findings, we conclude that anesthesia technicians need training to increase their awareness of and knowledge about the symptomatology, prevention, and treatment of local anesthetic systemic toxicity. Keyword: Drug toxicity, Awareness, Technicians.