Open AccessWhen Fiberoptic Intubation Fails in Patients with Unstable Craniovertebral Junctions
Author(s) -
Mazen A. Maktabi,
Sarah S. Titler,
Shivani Kadakia,
Ryan K. Conway
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
anesthesia and analgesia/anesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.404
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1526-7598
pISSN - 0003-2999
DOI - 10.1213/ane.0b013e31819fa20c
Subject(s) - medicine , glottis , intubation , cervical spine , endotracheal tube , endotracheal intubation , laryngoscopes , surgery , anesthesia , laryngoscopy , larynx
Fiberoptic intubation (FOI) is generally regarded as the preferred method to achieve endotracheal intubation in patients with cervical spine instability. When performed electively, FOI has a very high level of success. Nevertheless, rarely, FOI may fail. Recently, using the fiberoptic scope to obtain a view of the glottis, with the endotracheal tube being inserted independently, guided by the fiberoptic view has been described. In this report, we describe our experience with a variation of this technique in both adults and children with occipito-cervical instabilities in whom FOI failed.