The Combitube (Tyco-Kendall, Mansfield, MA) is a supraglottic airway device that has been used as an adjunct in the management of a difficult airway after failed attempts at endotracheal intubation both during cardiopulmonary arrest and in the setting of acute trauma (Fig 1). This device has replaced the previous esophageal obturator airway due to several reports of esophageal rupture. It has b...

In management of patients with an emergency, airway management and ventilatory care are the highest priorities (1, 2). Everybody who is confronted with a patient in distress has to start with the ABC’s: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. Establishment of an airway is the first step in the ABC’s. If the airway is blocked, death will occur within a few minutes. When an airway is only partially b...

In paediatric patients, airway management can be challenging due to unique anatomical and physiological variations. Hence, a thorough history, examination and pre-operative planning are essential in securing difficult airway in paediatrics. We report a case of a 7-month-old infant with rhabdomyosarcoma of the upper lip with anticipated difficult airway. The airway was managed with three differe...

Introduction: Laryngotracheal stenosis can be caused after traumatic injuries to the neck from the subglottic larynx to the trachea. Patients with laryngotracheal stenosis often need a tracheotomy and occasionally may become tracheotomy dependent. Different procedures have been described for the management of these lesions. Management options include techniques of endoscopic dilation, laser res...

Endotracheal intubation is widely used for airway management in a prehospital setting, despite a lack of controlled trials demonstrating a positive effect on survival or neurological outcome in adult patients. The benefits, in term of outcomes of invasive airway management before reaching hospital, remain controversial. However, inadequate airway management in this patient population is the pri...

Despite many recent innovations in equipment for difficult airway management, it remains the leading cause of the most devastating adverse outcomes in anesthesia. Fiberoptic airway management is among the most versatile of techniques for difficult airway management. It requires a greater degree of skill than most other techniques, however. Training, practice, and adherence to a few basic princi...

We present the anesthetic management of an infant with Desbuquois syndrome (a rare form of micromelic dwarfism) with a possible difficult airway. The anesthetic implications of this syndrome are presented. The airway was managed with a new supraglottic device - the CobraPLA. Although intubation through this device was not possible in this instance, CobraPLA provided a satisfactory supraglottic ...

Airway management, ensuring uninterrupted oxygenation and ventilation, is a fundamental part of the practice of anesthesia and of emergency and critical care medicine. Endotracheal intubation is an airway management technique indicated in a variety of clinical situations, most commonly for the maintenance of the upper airway during general anesthesia, but also in any situation involving the mai...

Respiratory failure in infants and children is a common cause of ICU admission, and diseases that jeopardize the airway are the most frequent cause of cardiac arrest in neonatal and pediatric patients.1,2 In neonates specifically, there are numerous causes for respiratory distress, with upper-airway obstruction being an important source of morbidity and mortality.3,4 This case will discuss the ...

Patients with neuromuscular disorders undergoing general anesthesia present a special set of respiratory problems for perioperative management. While there are disease-specific concerns, there are many common themes in the respiratory management of patients with neuromuscular disorders. These problems are discussed in this review. Such common perioperative concerns include upper airway obstruct...