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NEUROSURGICAL ANESTHESIOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE

When Fiberoptic Intubation Fails in Patients with Unstable Craniovertebral Junctions

Mazen A. Maktabi, MD^*, Sarah S. Titler, MD, Shivani Kadakia, MBBS, and Ryan K. Conway, MA, BA

From the *Division of Neuroanesthesia, and Department of Anesthesia, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

Address correspondence to Mazen Maktabi, MD, Department of Anesthesia, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Drive, 6537-6 JCP, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242. Address e-mail to mazen-maktabi{at}uiowa.edu.

Abstract

Fiberoptic intubation (FOI) is generally regarded as the preferred method to achieve endotracheal intubation in patients with cervical spine instability. When performed electively, FOI has a very high level of success. Nevertheless, rarely, FOI may fail. Recently, using the fiberoptic scope to obtain a view of the glottis, with the endotracheal tube being inserted independently, guided by the fiberoptic view has been described. In this report, we describe our experience with a variation of this technique in both adults and children with occipito-cervical instabilities in whom FOI failed.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				When Fiberoptic Intubation Fails in Patients with Unstable Craniovertebral Junctions: Erratum Anesth. Analg., August 1, 2009; 109(2): 647 - 647. [Full Text] [PDF]