title: The incidence of laryngospasm with a "no touch" extubation technique after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
abstract: In this case series, we evaluated the incidence of laryngospasm using a clearly defined awake tracheal extubation technique in 20 children undergoing elective tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy. This technique required patients to be turned to the recovery position at the end of the procedure before discontinuing the volatile anesthetics. No further stimulation, besides continuous oximetry monitoring, was allowed until the patients spontaneously woke up ("no touch" technique). The incidence of laryngospasm, oxygen saturation, and coughing was recorded. No cases of laryngospasm, oxygen desaturation, or severe coughing occurred in our patient population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study re-emphasizes the importance of a sound anesthetic technique in tracheally extubating pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and †Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Ban C H
authors.initials: BCH
authors.lastname: Tsui
authors.forename: Alese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cave
authors.forename: Clark
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Hamdy
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Hakim
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malherbe
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000293:Adolescent; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003371:Cough / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D007826:Laryngismus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014068:Tonsillectomy