Implementation of a Rapid Sequence Intubation Checklist Improves First-Pass Success and Reduces Peri-Intubation Hypoxia in Air Medical Transport.

OBJECTIVE: Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) is a critical skill commonly performed by air medical teams in the United States. To improve safety and reduce potential patient harm, checklists have been implemented by various institutions in intensive care units, emergency departments, and even prehospital air medical programs. However, the literature suggests that checklist use before RSI has not shown improvement in clinically important outcomes in the hospital. It is unclear if RSI checklist use by air medical crews in prehospital environments confers any clinically important benefit. METHODS: This institutional review board-approved project is a before-and-after observational study conducted within a large helicopter ambulance company. The RSI checklist was used by flight crewmembers (flight paramedic/nurse) for over 3 years. Data were evaluated for 8 quarters before and 8 quarters after checklist implementation, spanning December 2014 to March 2019. Data were collected, including the self-reported use of the checklist during intubation attempts, the reason for intubation, and correlation with difficult airway predictors (HEAVEN [Hypoxemia, Extremes of size, Anatomic disruption, Vomit, Exsanguination, Neck mobility/Neurologic injury] criteria), and compared with airway management before the implementation of the checklist. The primary outcome was improved first-pass success (FPS) when compared among those who received RSI before the checklist versus those who received RSI with the checklist. The secondary outcome was a definitive airway sans hypoxia improvement noted on the first pass among adult patients as measured before and after RSI checklist implementation. Post-RSI outcome scenarios were recorded to analyze and validate the effectiveness of the checklist. RESULTS: Ten thousand four hundred five intubations were attempted during the study. FPS was achieved in 90.9% of patients before RSI checklist implementation, and 93.3% achieved FPS postimplementation of the RSI checklist (P ≤ .001). In the preimplementation epoch, 36.2% of patients had no HEAVEN predictors versus 31.5% after RSI checklist implementation. These data showed that before RSI checklist implementation, airways were defined as less difficult than after implementation. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a standardized RSI checklist provided a better identification of deterring factors, affording efficient and accurate actions promoting FPS. Our data suggest that when a difficult airway is identified, using the RSI checklist improves FPS, thereby reducing adverse events.

Recommendations from the Brazilian Society of Anesthesiology (SBA) for difficult airway management in adults.

Difficult airway management represents a major challenge, requiring a careful approach, advanced technical expertise, and accurate protocols. The task force of the Brazilian Society of Anesthesiology (SBA) presents a report with updated recommendations for the management of difficult airway in adults. These recommendations were developed based on the consensus of a group of expert anesthesiologists, aiming to provide strategies for managing difficulties during tracheal intubation. They are based on evidence published in international guidelines and opinions of experts. The report underlines the essential steps for proper difficult airway management, encompassing assessment, preparation, positioning, pre-oxygenation, minimizing trauma, and maintaining arterial oxygenation. Additional strategies for using advanced tools, such as video laryngoscopy, flexible bronchoscopy, and supraglottic devices, are discussed. The report considers recent advances in understanding crisis management, and the implementation seeks to further patient safety and improve clinical outcomes. The recommendations are outlined to be uncomplicated and easy to implement. The report underscores the importance of ongoing education, training in realistic simulations, and familiarity with the latest technologies available.

Recommendations from the Brazilian Society of Anesthesiology (SBA) for difficult airway management in pediatric care.

Difficult airway management in pediatrics during anesthesia represents a major challenge, requiring a careful approach, advanced technical expertise, and accurate protocols. The task force of the Brazilian Society of Anesthesiology (SBA) presents a report containing updated recommendations for the management of difficult airways in children and neonates. These recommendations have been developed based on the consensus of a panel of experts, with the objective of offering strategies to overcome challenges during airway management in pediatric patients. Grounded in evidence published in international guidelines and expert opinions, the report highlights crucial steps for the appropriate management of difficult airways in pediatrics, encompassing assessment, preparation, positioning, pre-oxygenation, minimizing trauma, and, paramountly, the maintenance of arterial oxygenation. The report also delves into additional strategies involving the use of advanced tools, such as video laryngoscopy, flexible intubating bronchoscopy, and supraglottic devices. Emphasis is placed on the simplicity of implementing the outlined recommendations, with a focus on the significance of continuous education, training through realistic simulations, and familiarity with the latest available technologies. These practices are deemed essential to ensure procedural safety and contribute to the enhancement of anesthesia outcomes in pediatrics.

Manejo de vía aérea difícil en paciente con masa gigante en cuello: reporte de caso / Difficult airway management in a patient with a giant neck mass: Case report

La Sociedad Americana de Anestesiología (ASA) define vía aérea difícil, como la situación clínica en la que un médico capacitado en el cuidado anestésico experimenta una dificultad anticipada o no, incluyendo uno o más de los siguientes: ventilación con máscara facial, laringoscopia, ventilación mediante una vía aérea supraglótica, intubación traqueal, extubación o vía aérea invasiva. El manejo de vía aérea difícil sigue siendo un reto incluso para expertos en su manejo y más aún si esta se realiza en lugares poco controlados, con escaso equipamiento y con personal sin entrenamiento adecuado. El objetivo de este trabajo es dar a conocer una opción segura en el abordaje del paciente que presenta vía aérea difícil. Presentamos el caso de un paciente masculino, 73 años, llevado a emergencia por dificultad respiratoria secundario a una obstrucción parcial de la vía aérea debido a una masa gigante en cuello, donde se realiza intubación traqueal vigil videoasistida con sedación (ketamina y dexmedetomidina). El paciente con gran parte de su vía aérea invadida por la masa, se preoxigena a través de un dispositivo bolsa- mascarilla previo a intubación orotraqueal, manteniendo la ventilación espontánea con asociado a sedación monitorizada; evitando así un evento fatídico como ser el colapso de la vía aérea. En conclusión, la intubación traqueal vigil videoasistida bajo sedación con ketamina y dexmedetomidina es una opción segura en abordaje de vía aérea difícil...(AU)

Airway Management during Large-Scale Combat Operations: A Narrative Review of Capability Requirements.

Large-scale combat and multi-domain operations will pose unprecedented challenges to the military healthcare system. This scoping review examines the specific challenges related to the management of airway compromise, the second leading cause of potentially preventable death on the battlefield. Closing existing capability gaps will require a comprehensive approach across all components of the Joint Capabilities Integration Development System. In this, we present the case for a change in doctrine to selectively provide definitive airway management in prehospital settings to maximize the effectiveness of limited resources. Organizational changes to optimize training and efficiency in delivery of complex airway intervention include centralization of assigned healthcare personnel. Training must vastly increase opportunities for live tissue and patient experiences to obtain repetitions of both non-invasive and definitive airway procedures. Potential materiel solutions include extra-glottic devices, bag-valve masks, video laryngoscopes, and oxygen generators all ruggedized and capable of operations in austere settings. Leadership and education changes must formalize more robust airway skills into the initial training curricula for more healthcare personnel who will potentially need to perform these life-saving interventions. Simultaneously, personnel changes should expand authorizations for clinicians with advanced airway skills to the lowest echelons of care. Finally, existing medical training and treatment facilities must expand as necessary to accommodate the training and skill maintenance of these personnel.

Awake airway endoscopy in mucopolysaccharidosis: a case report.

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) are a group of rare genetic inherited diseases with a progressive course due to the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans resulting in anatomic abnormalities and organ dysfunction, including the respiratory, cardiovascular, skeletal, and neurological systems that can increase the risk of anesthesia complications. Clinical manifestations are variable, multisystemic, and include severe morphological changes. The anesthetic management of these patients is complex, particularly airway management, which can be planned to include a fiberoptic airway investigation prior to surgery. We present two cases of patients with MPS type VI and VII who underwent fiberoptic airway mapping under conscious sedation, with no complications. Since MPS is a rare but challenging disease concerning the airway management, we propose a safe and effective anesthetic technique that could be used for fiberoptic bronchoscopy and allow fiberoptic-assisted tracheal intubation at the time of surgery.

Manejo de via aérea difícil em paciente submetido a ressecção cirúrgica de tumor cerebral: um relato de caso / Difficult airway management in a patient undergoing surgical resection of a brain tumor: a case report

Introdução: Via aérea difícil (VAD) é definida, segundo a Sociedade Americana de A nestesiologia (ASA),como a situação clínica onde um anestesista treinado encontra dificuldade em manter a ventilação da via aérea superior com máscara facial, intubar a traqueia ou ambos. Estima se que 1 a 3% dos pacientes que necessitam de intubação traqu eal possuem VAD, por isso, ao longo dos anos, diversos estudos observaram que certas características de pacientes estão associadas com laringoscopia e intubação difícil. Outros fatores que modificam a via aérea, como história de radioterapia em região de c abeça e pescoço e massas cervicais, também apresentam maior risco para VAD. O score de Mallampati, baseado na visão das estruturas anatômicas avaliadas quando o paciente abre a boca o máximo possível, apesar de ter baixa especificidade, também é largamente utilizado como pr edictor de VAD. No contexto da n eurocirurgia, especialmente na abordagem de massas intracranianas, o manejo inadequado da via aérea pode trazer consequências catastróficas, tendo em vista que os pacientes tem baixa tolerância a hipoventil ação, mesmo em curtos períodos de tempo. Objetivo: Descrever, por meio de um relato de caso único, o manejo da via aérea difícil em um paciente submetido à neurocirurgia para ressecção de tumor cerebral. Metodologia: Trata se do relato de um caso único ref erente ao manejo de via aérea difícil em um paciente submetido à ressecção cirúrgica de um tumor intracraniano no Hospital do Servidor Público Municipal de São Paulo (HSPM), na cidade de São Paulo SP. Relato do caso: Trata-se do relato do caso de um paciente de 62 anos, sexo masculino, portador de múltiplas comorbidades e preditores de VAD, admitido no centro cirúrgico para ressecção de Glioblastoma frontal a direita recidivado. Na sala de cirurgia, o paciente foi devidamente monitorizado e optou-se por intubação acordada com fibroscópio (IAF). A sedação foi realizada com infusão endovenosa contínua de Dexmedetomidina e a anestesia tópica com Lidocaína spray em cavidade oral e hipofaringe e Lidocaína 2% em região intratraqueal. A intubação orotraqueal guiada por broncofibroscopia foi realizada sem intercorrências, sendo então administrado Propofol 200mg e Rocurônio 50mg para indução anestésica. A cirurgia ocorreu sem intercorrências e o paciente foi extubado e encaminhado à UTI. Conclusão: O manejo da via aérea difícil no contexto de neurocirurgia é sempre um grande desafio e a IAF, quando bem indicada e executada por profissionais treinados, é uma excelente técnica. Concluímos que o médico anestesiologista precisa estar apto a identificar precocemente os preditores de dificuldade e conduzir o caso de maneira segura. Palavras-chave: Tumores cerebrais. Anestesiologia. Via aérea difícil. Neurocirurgia. Relato de caso.

Awake airway endoscopy in mucopolysaccharidosis: a case report

Abstract Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) are a group of rare genetic inherited diseases with a progressive course due to the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans resulting in anatomic abnormalities and organ dysfunction, including the respiratory, cardiovascular, skeletal, and neurological systems that can increase the risk of anesthesia complications. Clinical manifestations are variable, multisystemic, and include severe morphological changes. The anesthetic management of these patients is complex, particularly airway management, which can be planned to include a fiberoptic airway investigation prior to surgery. We present two cases of patients with MPS type VI and VII who underwent fiberoptic airway mapping under conscious sedation, with no complications. Since MPS is a rare but challenging disease concerning the airway management, we propose a safe and effective anesthetic technique that could be used for fiberoptic bronchoscopy and allow fiberoptic-assisted tracheal intubation at the time of surgery.

Boas práticas na aspiração endotraqueal em uma unidade de terapia intensiva: estudo observacional / Buenas prácticas en aspiración endotraqueal en una unidad de cuidados intensivos: estudio observacional / Good practices in endotracheal aspiration in an intensive care unit: observational study

Objetivos: descrever as boas práticas realizadas pela equipe multiprofissional durante a aspiração de vias aéreas inferiores em pacientes adultos, internados na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva. Método: estudo quantitativo, observacional, descritivo e prospectivo, norteado pela ferramenta STROBE, realizado em uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva adulto, entre maio e agosto de 2022. A amostra foi composta por 25 observações e a coleta de dados através de checklist, incluídos os profissionais de enfermagem, fisioterapia e medicina. Os dados foram processados no Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, sendo calculadas as frequências absolutas e relativas. Resultados: a maioria das aspirações foram realizadas pela equipe de enfermagem, 20 (80%) profissionais não regularam a fração inspirada de oxigênio antes e após o procedimento, 06 (60%) profissionais não clampearam a sonda durante a sua inserção. O uso de máscara (100%), capote (92%) e luva (100%) foram as boas práticas com maior aderência entre os participantes. Conclusão: reforça-se a necessidade de incentivar os treinamentos abordando as boas práticas durante a aspiração endotraqueal.

Objetivos: describir las buenas prácticas realizadas por el equipo multiprofesional durante la aspiración de vías aéreas inferiores en pacientes adultos, ingresados en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. Método: estudio cuantitativo, observacional, descriptivo y prospectivo, guiado por la herramienta STROBE, realizado en una unidad de cuidados intensivos adulta, entre mayo y agosto de 2022. La muestra fue compuesta por 25 observaciones y la recogida de datos a través de checklist, incluidos los profesionales de enfermería, fisioterapia y medicina. Los datos fueron procesados en el Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, siendo calculadas las frecuencias absolutas y relativas. Resultados: la mayoría de las aspiraciones fueron realizadas por el equipo de enfermería, 20 (80%) profesionales no regularon la fracción inspirada de oxígeno antes y después del procedimiento, 06 (60%) profesionales no clampearon la sonda durante su inserción. El uso de máscara (100%), capucha (92%) y guante (100%) fueron las mejores prácticas con mayor adherencia entre los participantes. Conclusión: se refuerza la necesidad de incentivar los entrenamientos abordando las buenas prácticas durante la aspiración endotraqueal.

Objective: to describe the good practices performed by the multiprofessional team during lower airway aspiration in adult patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Method: quantitative, observational, descriptive and prospective study, guided by the STROBE tool, conducted in an adult intensive care unit, between May and August 2022. The sample consisted of 25 observations and data collection through checklist, including nursing, physiotherapy and medicine professionals. The data were processed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, and the absolute and relative frequencies were calculated. Results: most aspirations were performed by the nursing team, 20 (80%) professionals did not regulate the inspired fraction of oxygen before and after the procedure, 06 (60%) professionals did not clamp the tube during its insertion. The use of mask (100%), cloak (92%) and glove (100%) were the best practices with greater adherence among participants. Conclusion: there is the need to encourage training addressing good practices during endotracheal aspiration.

Vía aérea difícil no prevista en paciente anunciada para cirugía de urgencia / Difficult airway not foreseen in patient announced for emergency surgery

Introducción: El manejo de la vía aérea, conceptualizado como el conjunto de maniobras y empleo de dispositivos que permiten una ventilación adecuada y segura en pacientes que por diversas condiciones clínicas lo requieren, llega a ser uno de los desafíos más importantes que enfrenta un anestesiólogo en su práctica. Se considera que el resultado final dependerá de las características del paciente, la disponibilidad de equipos, así como de su destreza y habilidades. Cuando no se tienen en cuenta estos aspectos, aumenta la incidencia de morbilidad y mortalidad perioperatoria. Objetivo: Describir la conducta anestesiológica ante una paciente con diagnóstico de vía aérea difícil no prevista durante el perioperatorio. Presentación de caso: Se presenta el caso de una paciente anunciada para cirugía de urgencia, sin antecedentes patológicos personales, con antecedente de anestesia para amigdalotomía en la niñez. A pesar de un interrogatorio y examen físico minucioso, con utilización de herramientas como los test predictivos de vía aérea difícil y el empleo de dispositivos para su abordaje, no fue posible la intubación y se hizo necesario un abordaje quirúrgico de urgencia. Conclusiones: La vía aérea es parte integral del manejo anestésico. En la actualidad no se cuenta con un método clínico capaz de incluir la valoración de todos los parámetros que sugieran la presencia de vía aérea difícil. Una historia preoperatoria detallada y minuciosa evaluación de esta puede identificar factores de riesgos potenciales, pero casos como estos demuestran que a pesar de las medidas que se puedan tomar, no se está exento de fracasar en la permeabilización de la vía aérea(AU)

Introduction: The management of the airway, conceptualized as the set of maneuvers and use of devices that allow adequate and safe ventilation in patients who require it due to various clinical conditions, becomes one of the most important challenges faced by an anesthesiologist in the practice. It is considered that the final result will depend on the characteristics of the patient, the availability of equipment, as well as their dexterity and skills. When these aspects are not taken into account, the incidence of perioperative morbidity and mortality increases. Objective: Describe the anesthesiological behavior in a patient with a difficult airway diagnosis not foreseen during the perioperative period. Case presentation: The case of a patient announced for emergency surgery, without a personal pathological history, with a history of anesthesia for tonsillectomy in childhood is presented. Despite a thorough interrogation and physical examination, with the use of tools such as predictive tests of difficult airway and the use of devices for their approach, intubation was not possible and an emergency surgical approach was necessary. Conclusions: The airway is an comprehensive part of anesthetic management. At present there is no clinical methods capable of including the assessment of all the parameters that suggest the presence of a difficult airway. A detailed preoperative history and thorough evaluation of this can identify potential risk factors, but cases like these show that despite the measures that can be taken, it is not exempt from failing to permeate the airway(AU)

Airway management following head and neck microvascular reconstruction: is tracheostomy mandatory?

OBJECTIVES: Airway management following maxillofacial microvascular reconstruction is a fundamental part of the perioperative management. In oral cavity microvascular reconstruction, the airway is potentially compromised by airway edema, flap edema or bulkiness, hematoma formation, or upper airway sequelae from surgery. Classical teaching advocates elective tracheostomy in patients undergoing maxillofacial free flap reconstruction, while others keep patients intubated overnight (delayed extubation). The optimal method for perioperative airway management is still debated. This study aim was to evaluate the morbidity associated with elective tracheostomy in patients undergoing maxillofacial microvascular reconstruction and to recognize those patients who can avoid elective tracheostomy. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients who underwent maxillofacial microvascular free flap reconstruction, between November 1st 2010 and October 31st 2019 in our center. RESULTS: One-hundred and nine patients underwent microvascular reconstruction in the maxillofacial region. Sixty-one patients underwent an elective tracheostomy upon the primary surgery. Forty-eight patients were left intubated overnight. Seven patients underwent a late tracheostomy which was performed upon a neck re-exploration for postoperative complications, except for one patient which was due to failed extubation attempt. Patients who didn't receive an elective tracheostomy were younger and had a shorter duration of postoperative hospitalization. Seven patients suffered from tracheostomy- related complications, all of them underwent elective tracheostomy and none were from the late tracheostomy group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest, the routine use of elective tracheostomy in maxillofacial microvascular free flap reconstruction is unnecessary. Elective tracheostomy should be considered on case-to-case basis.

Ultrasonido como complemento en el manejo de la vía aérea / Ultrasound as a complement in the management of the airway

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the usefulness of ultrasound (US) as a complement to airway management. An overview of how to obtain a real-time airway ultrasound at the bedside is reviewed and the support for its use is checked against the evidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The search was carried out in Pubmed and Medline, yielding 722 articles of interest with different levels of evidence. The literature search was limited to studies conducted in humans, published in English and Spanish between August 2011 and August 2021.35 articles were included in this review. DISCUSSION: The usefulness of ultrasound in the evaluation and management of the airway is analyzed: predictors of difficult airway; cervical airway access; confirmation of tracheal intubation; calculation of endotracheal tube (ETT) size and depth. CONCLUSIONS: Airway ultrasound could be a useful tool for anesthesiologists, emergency physicians and intensivists, which could help improve patient care and safety. However, more research is needed to validate its use.

OBJETIVO: Analizar la utilidad del ultrasonido (US) como complemento al manejo de la vía aérea. Se revisa una descripción general de cómo obtener una ecografía de la vía aérea en tiempo real a la cabecera del paciente y se coteja el respaldo de su utilización con la evidencia. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: La búsqueda se realizó en Pubmed y Medline, arrojando 722 artículos de interés con distinto nivel de evidencia. La búsqueda bibliográfica se limitó a estudios realizados en humanos, publicados en inglés y español entre agosto de 2011 y agosto de 2021. Se incluyeron 35 artículos en esta revisión. DISCUSIÓN: Se analiza la utilidad del ultrasonido en la evaluación y manejo de la vía aérea: predictores de vía aérea difícil (VAD); acceso cervical de la vía aérea; confirmación de intubación traqueal; cálculo de tamaño de tubo endotraqueal (TET) y profundidad de éste. CONCLUSIONES: El ultrasonido en la vía aérea podría ser una herramienta útil para anestesiólogos, emergenciólogos e intensivistas, que podrían ayudar a mejorar la atención y la seguridad del paciente. Sin embargo, se necesitan más investigaciones para validar su uso.

Intubación guiada por ultrasonido en vía aérea difícil. A propósito de un caso / Intubation guided by ultrasound in difficult airway. About a case

Proper management of the airway as anesthesiologists is essential to avoid respiratory complications and the development of new technologies has allowed every day the possibility of a safer anesthetic management, this is how ultrasound has had great relevance today, since it allows perform increasingly safe and effective procedures, allowing the detection of anatomical altera- tions that together with clinical measurements give us predictability of the difficult airway, since it allows us to identify thyroid cartilage, epiglottis, cricoid cartilage, cricothyroid membrane, tracheal cartilage and esophagus. The clinical case of a male is presented in which multiple predictors of difficult airway are reported, due to the presence of a malignant tumor in the left mandibular body scheduled for surgical resection, in whom an evaluation of the anatomical structures was performed to rule out airway malformations with ultrasound visualization with the use of a high frequency linear transducer configured for superficial tissues in axial approach, later in real time it was used to corroborate successful intubation; Therefore, the use of ultrasound allows a more efficient management to be carried out in the approach of the difficult airway in this patient, which confirms the usefulness of this method as described in the consulted literature.

El manejo adecuado de la vía aérea como anestesiólogos es fundamental para evitar complicaciones respiratorias, y el desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías ha permitido cada día la posibilidad de un manejo anestésico más seguro. Es así como el ultrasonido ha tenido gran relevancia en la actualidad, ya que permite realizar procedimientos cada vez más seguros y efectivos, permitiendo detectar alteraciones anatómicas que, junto con mediciones clínicas, nos otorga predictibilidad de la vía aérea difícil, dado que nos permite identificar cartílago tiroideo, epiglotis, cartílago cricoides, membrana cricotiroidea, cartílagos traqueales y esófago. Se expone el caso clínico de un masculino en que se reportan múltiples predictores de vía aérea difícil, por la presencia de tumor maligno en cuerpo mandibular izquierdo, programado para resección quirúrgica, en quien se realizó evaluación de las estructuras anatómicas para descartar malformaciones de la vía aérea con visualización ecográfica con el uso de transductor lineal de alta frecuencia, configurado para tejidos superficiales en abordaje axial. Posteriormente, en tiempo real, se utilizado para corroborar intubación exitosa; por lo cual el uso de ultrasonido permite ejecutar un manejo más eficaz en el abordaje de la vía aérea difícil en este paciente, lo cual confirma la utilidad de este método como se describe en la literatura consultada.

Videolaringoscopia en el abordaje de la vía aérea durante la pandemia de la COVID-19 / Videolaryngoscopy for airway management during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introducción: A finales del año 2019 se reportaron casos de neumonía atípica en Wuhan provocados por un nuevo coronavirus. La intubación endotraqueal puede causar contaminación del personal de salud. Las pautas recientes prefieren la videolaringoscopia porque aumenta las posibilidades de intubación y evita del contacto cercano con el paciente. Objetivos: Describir el abordaje de la vía aérea con videolaringoscopia en pacientes con COVID-19 e identificar las principales complicaciones aparecidas durante la intubación endotraqueal. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, transversal, en el periodo de diciembre de 2020 a febrero de 2021, en el Centro Médico Naval de la Ciudad de México. El universo estuvo conformado por 178 pacientes con COVID-19 que requirieron intubación endotraqueal. Se tomó una muestra de 103 pacientes los cuales fueron atendidos por los médicos cubanos. Resultados: Los pacientes mayores de 60 años representaron el 63,1 por ciento de los casos y el sexo masculino el 65 por ciento El 42,1 por ciento tuvieron un predictor de vía aérea difícil y el 30,1 por ciento, dos o más predictores. Se visualizó completamente la glotis en el 39,8 por ciento de los casos y, parcialmente, en un 57,3 por ciento. La intubación al primer intento se logró en el 73,8 por ciento. Las principales complicaciones encontradas fueron la desaturación (33 por ciento) y la hipotensión arterial (37,9 por ciento). Conclusiones: La videolaringoscopia podría mejorar la visualización de la apertura glótica y la intubación endotraqueal al primer intento. La desaturación y la hipotensión arterial fueron complicaciones que podrían esperarse en los pacientes con la COVID-19 durante este procedimiento(AU)

Introduction: At the end of 2019, cases of atypical pneumonia were reported in Wuhan caused by a new coronavirus. Endotracheal intubation may cause contamination of healthcare personnel. According to recent guidelines, videolaryngoscopy is preferred, because it increases the chances of intubation and avoids close contact with the patient. Objectives: To describe airway management with videolaryngoscopy in patients with COVID-19 and to identify the main complications that appeared during endotracheal intubation. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out, in the period from December 2020 to February 2021, at the Naval Medical Center in Mexico City. The universe consisted of 178 patients with COVID-19 who required endotracheal intubation. A sample of 103 patients was taken, who were cared for by Cuban doctors. Results: Patients older than 60 years represented 63.1 percent of the cases, while the male sex represented 65 percent. 42.1 percent had one predictor of difficult airway and 30.1 percent had two or more predictors. The glottis was visualized fully in 39.8 percent of cases and partially in 57.3 percent. Intubation on the first attempt was achieved in 73.8 percent. The main complications found were desaturation (33 percent) and arterial hypotension (37.9 percent). Conclusions: Videolaryngoscopy could improve visualization of the glottic opening and endotracheal intubation on the first attempt. Desaturation and hypotension were complications that could be expected in COVID-19 patients during this procedure(AU)

Actualización en el abordaje de la vía respiratoria del paciente obeso / Update on the approach to the obese patient respiratory tract

RESUMEN El manejo de la vía respiratoria es uno de los aspectos más importantes en Anestesia. Entre el 50 y 70 % de los paros cardiacos durante la anestesia general obedecen a dificultades en la intubación. Los pacientes obesos tienen un 30 % más de probabilidades de presentar intubación difícil con respecto a pacientes normopesos. También desarrollan desaturación de oxígeno más rápido, lo que aumenta el riesgo de complicaciones. Teniendo en cuenta lo anterior, se decidió realizar este trabajo, con el objetivo de actualizar sobre el uso de los métodos para el abordaje de la vía respiratoria en dichos pacientes. Se mostraron los criterios y resultados de investigaciones de autores sobre el tema. Se concluye que, a pesar de que el método más utilizado para abordar la vía aérea en obesos es la intubación orotraqueal con visión directa, se debe considerar el uso de máscara laríngea de intubación, fibroscopio flexible y videolaringoscopios, sobre todo en personas superobesas (AU).

ABSTRACT The respiratory tract management is one of the most important topics in anesthesia. Between 50 and 70 % of the heart arrests occurring during general anesthesia are due to intubation difficulties. Obese patients are 30 % more likely of presenting difficult intubation with respect to normal weight patients. They also develop oxygen desaturation faster, increasing the complication risk. Taking into consideration the above reasons, the authors decided to write this article, with the aim of updating on the methods to approach the respiratory tract in those patients. The authors' criteria and research outcomes on the theme are showed. It was concluded that even though the most used method to approach the airway in obese patients is the orotracheal intubation with direct vision, the use of a laryngeal intubation mask, flexible fiberscope and video laryngoscopes should be considered, especially in superobese patients (AU).