Impact of Radiotherapy on Endotracheal Intubation Quality Metrics in Patients with Esophageal Cancer: A Challenge for Advanced Airway Management?

(1) Background: Currently, no data are available in the literature investigating the influence of radiotherapy (RT) on endotracheal intubation success in patients with esophageal cancer. This study aims to evaluate the impact of RT on endotracheal intubation quality metrics in patients with esophageal cancer. (2) Methods: Patients with esophageal cancer who underwent RT followed by surgery between 2012 and 2023 at the University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany, were retrospectively analyzed. (3) Results: Fifty-five patients, predominantly males 65.5% with a mean age of 64 years, were enrolled. Overall, 81.8% of the patients had an ASA class of III, followed by 27.2% ASA II. The mean prescribed cumulative total dose to the primary tumor and lymph node metastasis was 48.2 Gy with a mean single dose of 1.8 Gy. The mean laryngeal total dose was 40.0 Gy. Direct laryngoscopy was performed in 80.0% of cases, followed by 12.1% videolaryngoscopy, and 7.2% required fiberoptic intubation. Overall, 96.4% of patients were successfully intubated on the first attempt. (4) Conclusions: It has been demonstrated that post-RT effects can increase the risk of airway management difficulties and complications. The results of our study did not indicate any evidence of impaired advanced airway management in patients with esophageal cancer who had undergone RT.

Awake Videolaryngoscopy for Intubation in Patients With Laryngeal Cancer: A Case Series.

Total laryngectomy is the gold standard surgical approach for laryngeal cancer and is generally conducted under general anesthesia. Orotracheal intubation remains a very delicate step in the general anesthesia process. In otolaryngology (ENT) surgery, it remains considered the preferred method of anesthesia for many surgical procedures. A significant challenge in oncological ENT surgery is the difficulty associated with orotracheal intubation, due to a number of reasons that can lead to failure of orotracheal intubation. To mitigate this risk, experts recommend proceeding with orotracheal intubation with the patient awake and breathing spontaneously. In this case series, we report four patients with supraglottic tumors of the larynx who underwent total laryngectomy surgery under general anesthesia, during which they underwent orotracheal intubation while awake and spontaneous breathing, under no sedative drugs of any kind, in order to avoid complications of orotracheal intubation failure and respiratory apnea due to bleeding tumor masses that engaged the supraglottic space.

Association of Advanced Airway Management in Preference to Intravenous Adrenaline on Neurological Outcomes Following Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

AIM: To examine the preference for advanced airway management (AAM) or intravenous adrenaline administration (IVAd) provided by emergency medical services (EMS) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with shockable or nonshockable rhythms. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of a nationwide cohort of OHCA patients in Japan. Adult patients with witnessed collapse who were provided AAM and/or IVAd by EMS between June 2014 and December 2019 were divided into the AAM preferred group and IVAd preferred group, according to the initial advanced EMS intervention. The rates of favorable neurological outcomes (cerebral performance category 1 or 2 after 30 days) were compared between groups of patients with initial shockable or nonshockable rhythms. RESULTS: We analyzed 1365 and 9733 patients with initial shockable and nonshockable rhythms, respectively. Of these patients, 1033 (75.7%) with shockable and 7844 (80.6%) with nonshockable rhythms, respectively, were assigned to the AAM preferred group. Favorable neurological outcomes were significantly more frequent in the AAM preferred group than in the IVAd preferred group in patients with a shockable rhythm (13.6% vs 9.3%, respectively; P = 0.039), but not in those with a nonshockable rhythm (1.0% vs 0.8%, respectively; P = 0.509). Preferred AAM was independently associated with a higher probability of favorable neurological outcomes in patients with a shockable rhythm (adjusted odds ratio 1.66, 95% confidence interval 1.08-2.53, P = 0.020), but not in patients with a nonshockable rhythm. CONCLUSIONS: AAM provided by EMS in preference to IVAd was associated with the favorable neurological outcomes of OHCA patients with shockable rhythms.

Effects of physician-present prehospital care in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest on return of spontaneous circulation: A retrospective, observational study in Saga, Japan.

Background and Aims: Emergency medical services for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) vary according to region and country, and patient prognosis differs accordingly. In Japan, physicians may provide prehospital care. However, the effect of physician-present prehospital care on achieving return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in patients with cardiac arrest is not clear. Here, we aimed to examine the effect of physician-present prehospital care on the prognosis of patients with OHCA at our hospital compared with physician-absent care. Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, patients aged ≥18 years with non-traumatic OHCA from a single center in Saga City, Japan, between April 2011 and December 2019, were included. Patients were divided into two groups, based on prehospital physician presence or absence. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between physician-present prehospital care and ROSC. Results: Of 820 patients with OHCA, 151 had a physician present and 669 did not. Logistic regression analysis with no adjustment showed that the odds ratio (OR) of physician-present prehospital care for an increased ROSC rate was 1.74 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-2.48, p = 0.002). Logistic-regression analysis adjusted for ROSC-related factors indicated an OR of 1.05 (95% CI: 0.47-2.34, p = 0.914) for physician-present prehospital care to ROSC. Conclusion: Physician-present prehospital care may not necessarily lead to increased ROSC rates. However, insufficient data limited our study findings. Further studies involving larger sample sizes are warranted.

Design and implementation of the hospital airway resuscitation trial.

Guidelines for the management of in-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation are often drawn from evidence generated in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest populations and applied to the in-hospital setting. Approach to airway management during resuscitation is one example of this phenomenon, with the recommendation to place either a supraglottic airway or endotracheal tube when performing advanced airway management during in-hospital cardiac arrest based mainly in clinical trials conducted in the out-of-hospital setting. The Hospital Airway Resuscitation Trial (HART) is a pragmatic cluster-randomized superiority trial comparing a strategy of first choice supraglottic airway to a strategy of first choice endotracheal intubation during resuscitation from in-hospital cardiac arrest. The design includes a number of innovative elements such as a highly pragmatic design drawing from electronic health records and a novel primary outcome measure for cardiac arrest trials-alive-and-ventilator free days. Many of the topics explored in the design of HART have wide relevance to other trials in in-hospital cardiac arrest populations.

NECK HEMATOMA AFTER CENTRAL VENOUS CATHETERIZATION AND AWAKE INTUBATION AS RESCUE AIRWAY MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE: A CASE REPORT.

Central venous catheterization (CVC) of the internal jugular vein is an invasive procedure commonly performed in anesthesiology practice. Usually it is an uneventful procedure but complications such as bleeding, infection, and potential damage to the surrounding structures can occur. One of the complications is neck hematoma, which can distort airway anatomy and cause upper airway obstruction. We present a patient who underwent endovascular mitral valve repairment procedure under general anesthesia. Accidental puncture of carotid artery occurred while attempting to place the central line. Later, during awakening in the coronary intensive care unit, the patient developed neck hematoma. The diagnosis was confirmed with multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and MSCT angiography showed active arterial blood extravasation. Despite it, the patient was extubated. Awake tracheal intubation (ATI) with video laryngoscopy was the technique of choice for reintubation because of the neck swelling and compression onto laryngeal structures. In this case, rushed extubation put the patient at risk. Video laryngoscopy ATI with appropriate preparation and titrated sedation can enable quick and safe rescue airway management in patients with rapidly developing neck hematoma, along with definitive evacuation and treatment.

Contaminated Airway Task Training: How to Adapt an Existing Airway Manikin Head for Active Airway Soiling.

The massively contaminated airway is an important and often daunting entity for airway providers. Although massively contaminated airways are considered high acuity, low-occurrence presentations in emergency medicine and pre-hospital settings, formal training in the management of contaminated airways is heterogeneous and infrequent. To facilitate training and augment simulation, an airway task trainer is critical. To our knowledge, this is the first readily accessible, peer-reviewed, detailed technical report to build a low-cost, high-fidelity, contaminated airway task trainer. This trainer can be seamlessly integrated into simulated resuscitation scenarios and/or airway training workshops, reinforcing skill acquisition and retention for the management of the massively contaminated airway.

Evaluación del manejo avanzado de la vía aérea en un departamento de emergencia pediátrico / Evaluation of advanced airway management in a pediatric emergency department

Introducción: La intubación endotraqueal en pacientes críticamente enfermos es un procedimiento de riesgo que requiere alta competencia en el manejo de la vía aérea. Es esencial conocer las habilidades de los médicos de emergencia pediátrica en el manejo avanzado de vías aéreas y de vías aéreas difíciles. Objetivo: Describir el manejo avanzado de vías aéreas y vías aéreas difíciles en un departamento de emergencia pediátrico. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y prospectivo en pacientes de 0 a 18 años que requirieron intubación endotraqueal en el periodo comprendido desde el 10 de mayo del 2018 al 31 de mayo del 2019. Se evaluó diagnóstico fisiopatológico, prevalencia de vía aérea difícil, aplicación de secuencia de intubación rápida, herramienta utilizada para la intubación, tiempo de intubación, intentos, operador y complicaciones. Se definió éxito al paciente intubado en dos intentos. Resultados: Se incluyeron 93 pacientes, la mediana de edad fue 10 (0.7-192) meses . En 19 (20,4%) pacientes se identificó predicción de vía aérea difícil, se realizó secuencia de intubación rápida en 91 (97,8%) pacientes. El porcentaje de éxito fue 83,9% (78/93). En el primer intento 59,1% (55/93) y en el segundo 50% (19/38). Se requirió cambio de operador en 19 oportunidades. Todos fueron intubados por laringoscopia convencional. La mediana para el tiempo de intubación fue 3 (2-5.5) minutos. La media del número de intentos fue 1,8 (± 1,3). La complicación observada fue la desaturación de oxígeno en 23 (24,7%) pacientes. Conclusión: La primera causa de intubación según el diagnóstico fisiopatológico fue la falla cardiopulmonar y la identificación de vía aérea difícil se presentó con relativa frecuencia.

Introduction: Endotracheal intubation in critically ill patients is a risky procedure that requires a high level of competence in airway management. It is essential to know the skills of pediatric emergency physicians in the advanced management of airways and difficult airways. Objective: To describe the advanced management of difficult airways and airways in a pediatric emergency department. Materials and Methods: This was an observational, descriptive and prospective study in patients from ages 0 to 18 years who required endotracheal intubation from May 10, 2018 to May 31, 2019. We evaluated pathophysiological diagnosis, prevalence of difficult airway, rapid intubation sequence intubation application, tools used for intubation, intubation time, attempts, operator characteristics and complications. Successful intubation patients was defined as intubation in two attempts. Results: 93 patients were included, the median of age was 10 (0.7-192) months. In 19 (20.4%) patients, difficult airway prediction was identified, rapid intubation sequence was performed in 91 (97.8%) patients. The percentage of success was 83.9% (78/93). In the first attempt 59.1% (55/93) and in the second 50% (19/38). Operator change was required 19 times. All were intubated by conventional laryngoscopy The median for intubation time was 3 (2-5.5) minutes. The average number of attempts was 1.8 (± 1.3). The complication observed was oxygen desaturation in 23 (24.7%) patients. Conclusion: The first cause of intubation according to the diagnosis pathophysiological was cardiopulmonary failure. Difficult airway identification was relatively frequent.