The incidence of laryngospasm with a "no touch" extubation technique after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
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.
Tsui
Ban C H
BCH
*Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and †Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Canada.
Wagner
Alese
A
Cave
Dominic
D
Elliott
Clark
C
El-Hakim
Hamdy
H
Malherbe
Stephan
S
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