BACKGROUND Nasal mask discomfort is a major factor in compliance with treatment by nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). METHODS A study of skin complications resulting from mask usage, with particular reference to predisposing factors, was carried out in 66 patients by means of a postal questionnaire. An effective means...

The emergency physician is familiar with the presentation of dental abscesses and periodontal disease. The majority of these cases are easily managed with analgesia, antibiotics, and appropriate follow-up with the dentist or oralmaxillofacial surgeon. The emergency physician, however, must be aware of several unusual complications arising from odontogenic infections. Among these complications a...

OBJECTIVE To determine possible indications for tracheotomy in the burned child based on bronchoscopic and laryngoscopic findings. DESIGN AND SETTING A retrospective case study of all patients admitted to a tertiary children's burn center. PARTICIPANTS All children admitted with burn inhalation injury between 1990 and 1995 (n = 211). INTERVENTION All patients underwent laryngoscopy and br...

Complications from surgical procedures are common and must be taken into account when assessing the risks and benefits of a particular treatment approach. Common acute risks of tracheostomy include bleeding, airway loss, damage to adjacent structures, and failure of the chosen technique to achieve successful airway placement. The frequency and severity of these occurrences depends on several fa...

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a monogenic disease that causes a significant reduction in life expectancy due to the presence of chronic anemia, acute painful episodes and organic injuries. The most common chronic injuries are cardiopulmonary complications, such as pulmonary hypertension (HP), chronic lung disease, diastolic dysfunction and congestive heart failure (CHF), which are manifested mos...

P atient positioning is an important aspect of anesthesia practice. Based on data from the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Project database, advancements in research, improvements in airway management and education, and development of airway devices have resulted in a substantial decrease in respiratory complications—at one time the major cause of anesthesia-related morbidit...

BACKGROUND Difficult intubation management algorithms have proven efficacy in operating rooms but have rarely been assessed in a prehospital emergency setting. We undertook a prospective evaluation of a simple prehospital difficult intubation algorithm. METHODS All of our prehospital emergency physicians and nurse anesthetists were asked to adhere to a simple algorithm in all cases of impossi...

Sir,—The article of Kitching, Walpole and Blogg 1 investigating removal of the laryngeal mask in anaesthetized and awake children merits further discussion. At our hospital we routinely use the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in the general paediatric population for various ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures. 2 Our standard practice is in accordance with those of both the inventor and the manufa...