PREOPERATIVE SINGLE ANTHROPOMETRIC SCREENING TESTS OF DIFFICULT FACE MASK VENTILATION AND DIFFICULT DIRECT LARYNGOSCOPY INTUBATION IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGICAL SURGERY: A PROSPECTIVE, OBSERVATIONAL, SINGLE CENTER STUDY.

The aim of this study was to assess preoperative airway history data and single anthropometric screening tests of difficult face mask ventilation (FMV) and difficult direct laryngoscopy intubation (DLI) in otorhinolaryngological surgery. Final analysis included 62 patients aged ≥14 years undergoing elective surgery with endotracheal intubation at a single center during a one-month period. Data on difficult intubation history, airway symptoms and pathology related to difficult airway were prospectively collected. Han scoring classification of FMV and Intubation Difficulty Score (IDS) were used. There were 14 (22.6%) patients with a history of current airway tumors or abscesses. Only two (3.2%) patients were preoperatively evaluated as anticipated difficult airway. Both were slightly difficult to ventilate and scored IDS 5 and IDS 8. FMV was graded as easy in 50 (80.5%), slightly difficult in 10 (16.1%) and difficult in 2 (3.2%) cases. There were 29 (46.78%) slightly difficult DLIs and one (1.6%) case of difficult DLI. The study confirmed clinically relevant incidence of difficulties with FMV and DLI in otorhinolaryngologic surgery patients. However, there should be stronger evidence to identify a single preoperative variable predicting difficult airway.

ASSESSMENT OF STANDARD ANTHROPOMETRIC AIRWAY CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT FOR AIRWAY MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME DURING SLEEP BREATHING DISORDER SURGERY: A RETROSPECTIVE, SINGLE CENTER STUDY.

The aim of this study was to explore standard anthropometric airway characteristics of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and determine the incidence and risk factors for difficult airway management. Final analysis included 91 patients with polysomnography-verified diagnosis of OSAS who underwent sleep breathing disorder surgery under general anesthesia with direct laryngoscopy oroendotracheal intubation. The incidence of difficult manual mask ventilation during anesthesia induction, difficult intubation and immediate postextubation respiratory complications was 17.6%, 7.7% and 7.7%, respectively. Compared to patients without difficult manual mask ventilation, the group of OSAS patients with difficult manual mask ventilation had a higher rate of body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kgm-2 (p=0.010), Mallampati score ≥3 (p=0.024) and Cormack-Lehane score ≥3 (p=0.002). The OSAS patients with difficult intubation had more Cormack-Lehane score ≥3 (p=0.002) in comparison to those without difficult intubation. Our study demonstrated that manual mask ventilation during anesthesia induction was the most troublesome airway management task in OSAS patients during sleep breathing disorder surgery. Cormack-Lehane score was a relevant determinator of difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation, while Mallampati score and BMI were relevant determinators only for difficult manual mask ventilation.

AIRWAY MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES IN OBSTETRICS.

Anatomic and physiologic changes during pregnancy make it more difficult to establish a safe airway in pregnant women in case of the need for surgery under general anesthesia than in the non-obstetric population. The inability to ventilate and oxygenate is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality associated with general anesthesia for cesarean section. The aim of this paper is to present and analyze modern guidelines and algorithms for the management of difficult airway in obstetrics as an important segment of anesthesiology practice. Modern difficult airway management guidelines for pregnant women describe the procedure of difficult facemask ventilation, difficult airway management by using supraglottic devices, difficult endotracheal intubation, and emergency cricothyrotomy or tracheotomy in a situation where oxygenation and ventilation are impossible. Algorithms describe the procedures and equipment for each variant of difficult airway and decision-making strategies in situations when neither airway nor adequate oxygenation can be provided. Croatian anesthesiologists in most obstetric departments have appropriate equipment, as well as necessary experience in difficult airway management for pregnant women, and modern algorithms from the most developed countries can be adopted and accommodated to our daily practice, as well as incorporated into the training curricula of residents.

CHALLENGES IN THE USE OF VIDEO LARYNGOSCOPES.

Despite the lack of uniformity and the need of further investigation, video laryngoscopy continues to gain popularity both inside and outside the operating room. It has quickly become a first line strategy for potential and/or encountered difficult intubation. It is well established that video laryngoscope improves laryngeal view as compared with direct laryngoscopy in patients with suspected difficult intubation and simulated difficult airway scenarios. For novices and experienced anesthesiologists alike, video laryngoscopy is easy to use and the skills involved are easy to master. However, it is important to say that video laryngoscopes may be used in a variety of clinical scenarios and settings because of the video laryngoscope design offering an alternative intubation technique in both anaesthetized and awake patients. The aim of this article is to show and highlight clinical situations in which the use of video laryngoscope is a challenge for an experienced anesthesiologist in solving the airway. Challenges in the use of video laryngoscope with which we deal and encounter in everyday clinical practice that are discussed in this paper are intubation in the prehospital setting and emergency departments, intubation in Intensive Care Unit, intubation in a patient with cervical spine immobilization, and awake video laryngoscopy-assisted tracheal intubation in the obese. We also point out the important role of video laryngoscope as a tool for teaching and training in airway education. Training and education in difficult airway management is essential to improve patient safety at endotracheal intubation in emergency situation.

ALTERNATIVE DEVICES IN AIRWAY VISUALIZATION.

The Macintosh laryngoscope has been the most widely used device for intubation since its invention by Foregger in the 1940s. Recently, video and optic laryngoscopy assisted tracheal intubation has been used widely in patients with difficult airways. Their routine use, however, is not widely practiced. This review will summarize some of the newly available devices to assist tracheal intubation, with their advantages and disadvantages when compared with conventional laryngoscopes. It also presents the reasons to support their use in both elective and emergency airway management.

BILATERAL PNEUMOTHORAX AS A COMPLICATION OF PERCUTANEOUS TRACHEOSTOMY: CASE REPORT.

Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy is a common surgical procedure that is becoming the method of choice in critically ill patients whenever prolonged airway secure and/or ventilation support is needed. Although adverse events are relatively uncommon, serious life threatening complications can arise from this bedside procedure. We report a case of a 70-year-old female who developed extensive subcutaneous emphysema and bilateral pneumothorax immediately after a percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy procedure. Different mechanisms, such as damage to posterior or anterior tracheal wall, false passage or paratracheal placement or dislocation of the cannula are considered to be responsible for the development of pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema. Although bronchoscopic control after the tracheostomy procedure did not reveal any tracheal injury, we believe that subcutaneous emphysema and bilateral pneumothorax are most likely caused by procedure induced injuries of the trachea in addition to the applied high airway pressure induced by excessive or inappropriate ventilation. In our case report, we would like to emphasize that continuous bronchoscopic guidance during percutaneous tracheostomy is invaluable in decreasing the incidence of its overall complications, especially during enhancing the team experience.

[RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PERIOPERATIVE FASTING IN CHILDREN].

Perioperative fasting is a standard procedure for the preparation of patients for surgery. The current guidelines for perioperative fasting in children recommend adherence to the instructions, "2-4-6" i.e. taking clear liquids up to 2 hours, breast milk up to 4 hours, and other non-human milk and solids up to 6 hours prior to surgery. Oral fluid intake is allowed within the first 3 postoperative hours in most pediatric patients. Too long perioperative fasting is not recommended, and may be harmful, both for healthy children so for a specific group of pediatric patients such as cancer patients. It is possible to avoid the adverse effects of prolonged perioperative fasting by appropriate planning of operating programs, good coordination of anesthetic and surgical team and compliance to the guidelines. Although recent studies suggest an advantage of more liberal perioperative approach in relation to the current guidelines in children, for now there is no enough evidence to change existing recommendations. However, according to ongoing studies it is possible that soon there will be evidence enough to support additional shortening of perioperative fasting time interval.

[Pain, delirium and sedation in intensive unit care]. / Bol, delirij i sedacija u jedinici intenzivnog lijecenja.

Delirium is a complication of intensive care treatment associated with permanent cognitive decline and increased mortality after hospital discharge. In several studies, postoperative pain was found as a possible precipitating factor. Aggressive pain treatment is part of current multicompartment protocols for delirium prevention after hip fracture. Protocol based sedation, pain and delirium management in intensive care units have been shown to have clinical and economic advantages.

[Delirium assessment scoring scales]. / Bodovne ljestvice za procjenu delirija.

Delirium is a significant psychiatric disorder in intensive care units that has negative impact on morbidity and mortality of intensive care patients. Subjective clinical assessment of patients by non-psychiatric health professionals in intensive care units is not sufficient for detection and measurement of delirium. Therefore, different scoring scales for delirium assessment have been developed. This paper reviews the characteristics of commonly used scoring scales for assessment of delirium in intensive care units: the Confusion Assessment Method-Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU), the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICD-SC), the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (Nu-DESC) and the Detecting Delirium Scale (DDS). Routine implementation of objective scoring scales is not widespread. Evidence suggests that objective assessment of delirium contributes to its early detection in intensive care and initiation of appropriate treatment. It is therefore advisable to make additional educational effort to provide an objective scoring scale for the assessment of delirium, such as CAM-ICU, to be routinely used in intensive care units.

Difficult airway management at Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center.

Difficult airway has gained increasing interest due to a relatively high number of adverse effects following unsuccessful intubation. Besides traditional techniques, several alternative methods are available today. It is crucial for the anesthesiologists and intensive care physicians to maintain sufficient oxygenation and ventilation of the patient. Hypoxia is one of the most frequent causes of death or severe neurologic defects in anesthesia. Therefore, it is necessary to have an easy alternative to secure the airways in critical situations.

Extubation strategy following difficult intubation.

Airway management relates to the period of tracheal intubation, maintenance of endotracheal tube in situ, and finally extubation. Problems related to difficult extubation still pose significant challenge for both anesthesiologists and intensivists. This article reviews current approach to extubation strategy following difficult intubation. Guidelines and algorithm may be helpful in order to ensure safe management of the patient during this delicate period of airway management.

Inadequate face mask ventilation--clinical applications.

Face mask ventilation is a life saving technique. This article will review aetiology and patophysiological consequences of inadequate mask ventilation. The main focus will be on circulatory changes during induction of anesthesia, before and in a short period after intubation that could be attributed to inadequate mask ventilation in humans.

Correlation of APACHE II and SOFA scores with length of stay in various surgical intensive care units.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of using Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score as the predictors of length of stay (LOS) in various surgical intensive care units (ICUs) and to test the hypothesis that the significance of scoring for predicting LOS is greater in specialized surgical ICUs. We scored patients in a non-specialized general surgical ICU (n = 328) and in a specialized cardiosurgical ICU (n = 158) consecutively on admission (APACHE II-1st day; SOFA-1st day) and on third day of stay (APACHE II-3rd day; SOFA-3rd day) in a 4-month period. LOS and APACHE II/SOFA scores were significantly correlated both on admission and on third day of stay in the general surgical ICU (APACHE II-1st day r = 0.289; SOFA-1st day r = 0.306; APACHE II-3rd day r = 0.728; SOFA-3rd day r = 0.725). LOS and APACHE II on admission were not significantly correlated in the cardiosurgical ICU (APACHE II-1st day r = 0.092), while SOFA on admission and APACHE II and SOFA on third day were significantly correlated (SOFA-1st day r = 0.258; APACHE II-3rd day r = 0.716; SOFA-3rd day r = 0.719). Usefulness of scoring for predicting LOS in ICU varied between different surgical ICUs. Contrary to our hypothesis, scoring had greater value for predicting LOS in the non-specialized general surgical ICU. APACHE II score on admission had no value for predicting LOS in the cardiosurgical ICU.

Nasoendotracheal tube obstruction by a nasal polyp in emergency oral surgery: a case report.

Nasal polyps can make nasoendotracheal intubation difficult. We present a case of complete obstruction of a nasoendotracheal tube by a nasal polyp during a blind nasoendotracheal intubation in emergency oral surgery.

Perioperative blood pressure control in hypertensive and normotensive patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: prospective study of current anesthesia practice.

AIM: To analyze blood pressure changes during intra- and immediate postoperative period in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: The study included 355 consecutive patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting between January 5, 2004 and December 30, 2005. Out of these patients, 325 were allocated into groups with preoperative history of hypertension (n=115) and without preoperative history of hypertension (n=210). Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure was measured at the following four time points: on the day before surgery, before anesthesia induction, after the last graft, and on entry to intensive care unit. RESULTS: Mean arterial pressure was significantly higher in patients with a history of hypertension on the day before surgery (97 vs 92 mm Hg, P=0.003, Mann-Whitney test) and before anesthesia induction (107 vs 98 mm Hg; P=0.003). It was higher at all measuring points (after the last graft, 79 vs 78 mm Hg; and on entry to intensive care unit, 88 vs 86 mm Hg), but this difference was neither statistically nor clinically significant. The study showed that mean arterial pressure followed similar dynamics over time in both patient groups (P<0.001 both), with no significant time-dependent between-group differences. CONCLUSION: Current anesthesia techniques that include deep opioid analgesia in combination with vasodilators provide a satisfactory control of intraoperative hypertension. Management of blood pressure changes during intra- and immediate postoperative period in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting patients with preoperative hypertension was no more difficult than in patients without preoperative hypertension.