High-frequency jet ventilation using the Arndt bronchial blocker for refractory hypoxemia during one-lung ventilation in a myasthenic patient with asthma.

A novel method in the management of refractory severe hypoxemia during one-lung ventilation (OLV) in a patient who presented with myasthenia gravis, asthma, a symptomatic mediastinal mass, hiatal hernia, and a moderate pericardial effusion is presented. The patient was scheduled for excision of a large anterior mediastinal mass and creation of a pericardial window through a left thoracotomy. One-lung ventilation was achieved using an Arndt bronchial blocker. High-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) was applied to the surgical nondependent lung through the lumen of the Arndt endobronchial blocker with titration of positive end-expiratory pressure to the dependent lung. Oxygenation improved significantly. The use of HFJV through the Arndt blocker offers an effective method for treatment of refractory hypoxemia during OLV.

Case Report: Double lumen tube insertion in a morbidly obese patient through the non-channelled blade of the King Vision (™) videolaryngoscope.

We describe the insertion of the double lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) using a non-channeled standard blade of the King Vision (TM) videolaryngoscope for one lung ventilation (OLV) in a morbidly obese patient with a predicted difficult airway, severe restrictive pulmonary function, asthma, and hypertension. The patient was scheduled for a video-assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy. The stylet of the DLT was bent to fit the natural curve of the #3 non-channeled blade of the King Vision (™) videolaryngoscope. We conclude that the use of King Vision (™) videolaryngoscope could offer an effective method of DLT placement for OLV.