Background: The unplanned departure of endotracheal tube is one of the main complications for endotracheal intubation. In addition to endotracheal extubation, its movement can also lead to damage to the oral cavity. Stabilizing endotracheal tube is the most important factor that can prevent unplanned departure of endotracheal tube as well as its movement. The current study was done with the aim...

PURPOSE The purpose of this nonrandomized, case-control study was to examine the incidence and severity of upper airway obstruction (UAO) in children with enlarged tonsils during inhalation of nitrous oxide (N2O). METHODS Following premedication with oral midazolam, 0.5 mg/kg, measurements were collected during a 3-minute control period followed by 3 minutes of breathing 50% N2O in oxygen. An...

THE Mallampati classification is a rough estimate of the tongue size relative to the oral cavity. Although the single usage of the Mallampati classification has limited discriminative power for difficult tracheal intubation, it is a simple, reproducible, and reliable preanesthetic airway assessment method when performed properly. In addition to difficult tracheal intubation, Mallampati class 3 ...

Chronic upper airway obstruction is frequently unrecognized or misdiagnosed as other conditions such as asthma or chronic airflow obstruction (CAO). Clinical features such as stridor may lead to diagnosis or it may initially be suspected from the results of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) ordered for another reason. We will review the physiology and the pulmonary function tests which are necess...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder characterized by repetitive, complete or partial closure of the upper airway during sleep, resulting in sleep fragmentation and oxygen desaturation. The disorder causes significant morbidity, particularly in terms of impairment of daytime functioning and the impact this has on quality of life. There is also evidence that links OSA to long-term ...

This review discusses the pathophysiological aspects of sleep-disordered breathing, with focus on upper airway mechanics in obstructive and central sleep apnoea, Cheyne-Stokes respiration and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. These disorders constitute the end points of a spectrum with distinct yet interrelated mechanisms that lead to substantial pathology, i.e. increased upper airway collapsib...

Upper-airway resistance syndrome (UARS) was first recognized in children in 1982 (Guilleminault et al., 1982). The term UARS, however, was not used until adult cases were reported in 1993 (Guilleminault et al., 1993). The description of UARS brought the attention of clinicians to a group of patients that was left undiagnosed and untreated despite severe impairment. The authors indicated that th...

BACKGROUND Lateral positioning decreases upper airway obstruction in paralyzed, anesthetized adults and in individuals with sleep apnea during sleep. The authors hypothesized that lateral positioning increases upper airway cross-sectional area and total upper airway volume when compared with the supine position in sedated, spontaneously breathing children. METHODS Children aged 2-12 yr requir...

INTRODUCTION Sinus arrest, atrio-ventricular block, supraventricular, and ventricular arrhythmias have been reported in patients with sleep apnea syndrome. The arrhythmias usually occur during sleep and contribute to the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and the treatment of sleep apnea usually results in the resolution of the brady- arrhythmias. Weight loss, continuous positive airway pr...

Although gene expression studies have shown that human PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone) proteins are predominantly expressed in the upper airways, nose and mouth, and proteomic studies have indicated they are secreted into airway and nasal lining fluids and saliva, there is currently little information concerning the localization of human PLUNC proteins. Our studies have focused ...