Pioneers of laryngoscopy: indirect, direct and video laryngoscopy.

Airway management is one of the core skills of the anaesthetist and various techniques of airway management have developed over many years. Initially, the only view of the glottis that could be obtained was an indirect view (indirect laryngoscopy). Late in the 19th century, a direct view of the glottis was obtained via various direct laryngoscopes. Currently, in the early 21st century, there has been a return to indirect laryngoscopy via videolaryngoscopy using a videolaryngoscope. The aim of this paper is to give a historical overview of the development of both direct and indirect laryngoscopy.

Surgical blood order equation in femoral fracture surgery.

AIM: This study aimed at establishing the clinical utility of the surgical blood order equation (SBOE) in patients undergoing femoral fracture surgery. BACKGROUND: A blood ordering schedule defines the perioperative blood use in elective surgery. It lists the number of units of blood required for each procedure preoperatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was performed among homogeneous groups of patients (n = 62 each) undergoing open reduction and internal fixation of femoral fractures. Correct prediction of blood use in the group of patients using the SBOE was compared to the group whose blood orders were made without any guideline. RESULTS: The surgical blood ordering equation was exactly correct in ordering blood for 46 (74·2%) of 62 patients (cases). The current unaided blood ordering method was exactly correct in ordering blood for 27 (43·5%) of 62 patients (controls). Use of the SBOE resulted in a significantly lower crossmatch-to-transfusion ratio compared to that of the current ordering system (1·5 vs 2·3) and saved the hospital transfusion laboratory 465 US$ of crossmatch and inventory management costs in this cohort of patients. CONCLUSION: The SBOE is a more accurate and cost-saving tool in predicting blood use. It should replace the current unaided method of ordering for perioperative blood in femoral fracture surgery at Mulago Hospital. However, its introduction to other hospitals should be preceded by more rigorous research to strengthen its external validity.

Local anesthesia for endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVES: This study reports the results of a prospective continuous cohort of patients treated for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) with a unified anesthetic strategy based on the use of local anesthesia (LA) in all patients, while reserving regional (RA) or general anesthesia (GA) only for those with predefined individually or surgically specific indications. METHODS: All patients treated by EVAR for an elective aortic abdominal aneurysm (AAA) between April 1998 and December 2003 were included. The strategy of treatment generated three cohorts of patients (LA, RA, or GA). Primary outcome included all-cause mortality, nonfatal cardiac morbidity, respiratory complications, and renal failure. Secondary outcome measures included conversion to general anesthesia, use of analgesics, and time-related outcomes (operating time, length of stay in intensive care unit and hospital, time required to resume oral intake, and time to ambulation). RESULTS: A total of 239 patients underwent EVAR: 170 LA, 31 RA, and 38 GA. Overall mortality was one patient (0.4%). LA was associated with a lower incidence of complications compared with GA (P < .001). In the LA group, two patients had to be converted to GA, one because of a dissection and one because of anxiety. In 13% of the patients in the LA group, additional intravenous sedation or analgesia was required. Operating time and length of stay in intensive care was shorter in the LA and RA groups than in the GA group (P < .001). Length of stay in hospital and time to ambulation and regular diet was shorter in the LA group compared with the RA and GA groups (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A strategy based on the preferential use of LA for EVAR restricting RA or GA only to those with predefined contraindications is feasible and appears to be well tolerated.

Adjusted transfusion triggers improve transfusion practice in orthopaedic surgery.

Although blood transfusion has never been safer, there remains concern about adverse effects. We designed guidelines, the 6-8-10-Flexinorm, based on the conditions which are relevant to the decision to transfuse. To evaluate these new guidelines, we performed a case-control study in patients undergoing elective primary total hip replacement. The study consisted of two parts. In the first part, physicians were strongly encouraged to use the new guidelines; in the second part, only registration took place. During the first and second part of the study, the use of packed red cells (PRC) in Hospital A (study hospital) decreased from 1.1 +/- 1.5 to 0.6 +/- 1.2 and 0.3 +/- 0.9 units, whereas in Hospital B (control), the use of PRC remained unchanged (1 +/- 1.5, 1 +/- 1.7 and 1 +/- 2 units). In the prestudy groups, 43% of the patients in Hospital A were transfused compared to 45% in Hospital B. In the first and second part of the study, 27%, respectively, 14% of the patients in Hospital A were transfused compared to 40% in both periods in Hospital B. The new guidelines lead to a reduction in the use of allogeneic blood and a decrease in the number of patients transfused.

Anaesthetic management of the airway in The Netherlands: a postal survey.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: A postal survey was conducted in order to investigate current practice in airway management amongst Dutch anaesthetists and to investigate the role of recent training and the role of an 'Access to the Airway' airway management course. METHODS: A questionnaire containing 27 questions was sent to all practising anaesthetists in The Netherlands. Questionnaires were returned anonymously and were analysed using the Pearson chi(2)-test (P < 0.05) with the SPSSR version 8.0 statistical software program. RESULTS: The response rate was 42%. Of the respondents, 78% claim often or always to assess the expected degree of difficulty in tracheal intubation as part of routine preoperative assessment. The American Society of Anesthesiologist's Difficult Airway Algorithm was used by 19% of respondents. A wide variety of airway management techniques is being used. In 36% of all general anaesthetics a laryngeal mask airway is used. In 1.1% of all general anaesthetics tracheal intubation is performed with the flexible fibrescope. CONCLUSIONS: Dutch anaesthetists, who commenced anaesthetic training after 1988, and those who attended the airway management course 'Access to the Airway' are significantly more likely to follow the American Society of Anesthesiologist's Difficult Airway Algorithm and to use adjunctive techniques for airway management.

A practical clinical approach to management of the difficult airway.

Difficult airway management represents a challenge in anaesthesia. In the last decades airway difficulty awareness has improved as a result of better anticipation and decision-making. Airway algorithms and protocols have a more prominent role in training and in clinical anaesthesia practice. In addition, several new instruments and therefore new techniques have been developed. These have improved possibilities for the clinician to secure the airway. Clinicians should become familiar with this equipment and techniques by using them on a regular basis in elective cases. The instruments available must be selected by the characteristics of the patient population, the local circumstances and the experience of the anaesthesiologist. The aim of this paper is to provide some practical guidelines with respect to airway difficulty predictors and airway instrument choice.

Transient nerve damage following intubation for trans-sphenoidal hypophysectomy.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of transient lingual and hypoglossal nerve damage following intubation for a trans-sphenoidal hypophysectomy. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 56-yr-old acromegalic man was scheduled for trans-sphenoidal hypophysectomy. He had been treated with octreotide six months previously which had reduced the swelling of the tongue to an acceptable degree to the patient. During the anesthetic procedure there were no problems. The intubation was performed without any difficulty, no force had been used to place the endotracheal tube, a throat pack was inserted and, before extubation, an oro-gastric tube was inserted. Three days after surgery the patient complained of numbness and swelling of the left side of the tongue, he had difficulty in moving the tongue, speaking difficulties and problems in swallowing food were noted. Also taste was lost on this side of the tongue. Left lingual and hypoglossal nerve damage was diagnosed, which was confirmed by the neurologist. After four months of intensive physiotherapy and speech therapy, the symptoms disappeared. CONCLUSION: This is a report of a very rare complication of lingual and hypoglossal nerve damage in an acromegalic patient. This incident suggests forceful laryngoscopy, hyperextension of the head and the throat pack (tightly packed in the oropharynx) can result in injury of the lingual and the hypoglossal nerves.