Current options in aerosolised drug therapy for children receiving respiratory support.

Inhalation of aerosolised medications are the mainstay of treatment for a number of chronic lung diseases and have several advantages over systemically-administered medications. These include more rapid onset of action for drugs such as ß-adrenergic agonists when compared with oral medication, high luminal doses for inhaled antibiotics when used to treat endobronchial infection, and an improved therapeutic index compared with systemic delivery for these and other classes of drugs such as corticosteroids. The use of aerosolised drugs to treat patients whose tracheas are intubated is less well established, in part because systemic delivery via the intravenous route can be a simpler alternative for many drugs. Consequently, research in this area is largely limited to a number of in vitro studies and very few clinical trials. Unfortunately, a lack of focus in this area has resulted in a number of practices which at best are ineffective, and at worst dangerous for the patient. Although there have been some attempts to re-invigorate research in order to improve delivery systems, current devices are, to a great extent, based on long-standing technology developed more than 50 years ago. In this review, we explore current knowledge and provide guidance as to when and how the inhaled route may be of value when treating patients whose tracheas are intubated, and we set out the challenges facing those attempting to advance the topic. We conclude by reviewing current areas of interest that may lead to more effective and widespread use of aerosols in the treatment of intubated patients.

The use of high-flow nasal oxygen during airway management in a child with epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica and a difficult airway.

The role of high-flow nasal oxygen in paediatric anaesthesia has been emerging in recent years. However, literature regarding its benefits in paediatric difficult airway management is limited. In this case report, we describe the use of high-flow nasal oxygen during airway management of a child with a difficult airway due to epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica in whom the use of a facemask would have been potentially harmful. Deep sedation was achieved with propofol and remifentanil while maintaining spontaneous breathing before flexible bronchoscopic tracheal intubation was attempted. However, on attempted tracheal intubation difficulty was encountered due to poor visualisation and contact bleeding. Tracheal intubation was eventually successful after converting to videolaryngoscopy. Oxygenation was maintained throughout the process despite deep sedation and a long procedure time. Moreover, no skin abrasions or mucosal injury resulted from the use of high-flow nasal oxygen. We conclude that high-flow nasal oxygen has a valuable role during airway management for a child with a predicted difficult airway when the use of a facemask would have been potentially harmful.