Tracheo-esophageal fistula
Tracheo-esophageal fistula the most important cause of an inspiratory air leak in an intubated / tracheostomsied patient
Category Airway
Coroner’s clot
OVERVIEW The ‘Coroner’s clot’ is an occult clot of blood remaining in the nasopharynx behind the soft palate following local surgery or trauma that has the potential to cause fatal airway obstruction following extubation/ removal of a supraglottic airway device (SAD) So named…
Suction Assisted Laryngoscopy Airway Decontamination (SALAD)
Suction Assisted Laryngoscopy Airway Decontamination (SALAD) is the term coined by Jim Du Canto and colleagues for a suction technique used to preventing airway soiling during laryngoscopy when there is profuse regurgitation
Unplanned extubation
Unplanned extubation of mechanically ventilated patients is relatively common ( 0·5% to 14·2% of ICU patients in most studies, higher in a few outliers)
Video laryngoscopy
Video laryngoscopy: multiple types of video-assisted laryngoscope devices are available. Four step procedure (Mouth - Screen - Mouth - Screen):
Upper Airway Obstruction in a Child
This is an airway emergency with upper airway obstruction in a paediatric patient.
If the lights go out…
If the light on the laryngoscope fails, clean contact between blade and handle, check bulb is screwed in place securely. If this fails, use a spoon
Bimanual laryngoscopy
Bimanual laryngoscopy using external laryngeal manipulation (ELM) is the single most practical and effective airway management technique for facilitating intubation during direct laryngoscopy.
Cricoid: To Press or Not to Press?
Just in case you still thought cricoid pressure was a good idea, listen John Hinds at smaccGOLD. Hinds was an anaesthetist, intensivist and a motorcycle-riding prehospital resuscitationist based in Northern Ireland. In this debate he will tell you about ‘cricolol‘.…
an abominable airway…
the case. a 28 year old male presents to your Emergency Department with a 2-3 week history of increasing neck swelling. He is now spitting out frank purulent discharge from his mouth and reports fevers and night sweats.
a knackered neonate…
the case. You are working in a district hospital and are called to the Special-Care Nursery to assist with an unwell newborn infant. She was born 2 hours ago at 39 + 4 weeks gestation, to a primip mother who…
better late than never…
The case. An obese 86 year old female is bought to ED by private car with a 5-6 day history of progressive dyspnoea and fevers. She is promptly rushed into the resus bay in extremis with cyanosis & poor respiratory…