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Radiographic Evaluation of Carotid Artery Compression in Patients With Extraglottic Airway Devices in Place
Author(s) -
White Jenna M. B.,
Braude Darren A.,
Lorenzo Gamaliel,
Hart Blaine L.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
academic emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1553-2712
pISSN - 1069-6563
DOI - 10.1111/acem.12647
Subject(s) - medicine , airway , radiology , radiography , carotid arteries , compression (physics) , cardiology , surgery , materials science , composite material
Objectives Extraglottic airway devices ( EAD s) are now commonly placed for airway management of critically ill or injured patients, particularly by emergency medical services providers in the out‐of‐hospital setting. Recent literature has suggested that EAD s may cause decreased cerebral blood flow due to compression of the arteries of the neck by the devices’ inflated cuffs. Methods The authors identified a cohort of 17 patients presumed to be hemodynamically stable with EAD s in place who underwent radiographic imaging of the neck. These studies were reviewed by a neuroradiologist to determine if mechanical compression of the carotid arteries was present. Results None of the 17 cases reviewed had radiographically evident mechanical compression of the carotid artery. Conclusions Until further studies are performed in which cerebral perfusion is evaluated prospectively in both hemodynamically stable and unstable human subjects, there is insufficicent evidence to recommend against the use of extraglottic airways in the emergency setting on the basis of carotid artery compression.