by anyonecanintubate | May 18, 2014 | Airway Management, Airway obstruction, Anesthesia, Patient Safety
One of the more frightening events in anesthesia is laryngospasm – the protective, reflex, spasmodic closure of the vocal cords that occurs when the vocal cords are stimulated. When laryngospasm occurs, vocal cord closure can be so forceful that it can prevent all ventilation or even the passage of the endotracheal tube. Life-threatening hypoxia can quickly follow. Other potential complications include post obstructive pulmonary edema, and possibly even cardiac arrest. This post discusses the different muscle actions that combine to make laryngospasm create dangerous airway obstruction.
by anyonecanintubate | Sep 22, 2013 | Airway Management, Anesthesia, Intubation
The longer I do anesthesia, the more I realize that not knowing the details about the surgeries that I see every day can cause unexpected problems with the anesthesia. Removal of the hyoid as part of a thyroglossal duct cyst excision, normally innocuous, can rarely cause severe postoperative airway obstruction.
by anyonecanintubate | Jun 28, 2013 | Airway Management, Anesthesia in Developing World, Patient Safety
While power failures in hospitals in the United States are thankfully rare, they do happen. This discussion offers tips on dealing with power failure in the OR while working in the developing world.
by anyonecanintubate | May 18, 2013 | Airway Management, Patient Safety
Postoperative opioid-induced respiratory depression is common and results from an imbalance in the forces of arousal vs the forces of sedation. Opioid induced respiratory depression requiring treatment can occur to any patient at any time, and under the care of any provider — from novice to experienced. You must understand the forces of sedation and arousal and be constantly vigilant to keep your patients safe.
by anyonecanintubate | Jan 27, 2013 | Airway Management, Anesthesia, Patient Safety
The LMA provides an alternate means to ventilate a patient during surgery — without intubation and while freeing the provider’s hands from having to hold the mask. It provides a more secure airway that makes gastric distention less likely. Since its invention, the LMA has since become quite valuable as a rescue device in situations when intubation may be difficult — even for the inexperienced. Let’s talk about some tips for successful insertion.
by anyonecanintubate | Dec 31, 2012 | Airway Management
Use of a bag-valve-mask device is one of the most important skills you can master in patient care. Many of my students have a hard time ventilating with a bag-valve-mask device because they fail to get a good seal with the mask. So let’s discuss how to place the mask step-by-step.
