Submental intubation with reinforced tube for intubating laryngeal mask airway.
Submental endotracheal intubation is a simple and secure alternative to either nasoendotracheal intubation or a tracheostomy in the airway management of maxillofacial trauma. However, a submental endotracheal intubation is quite difficult to manage if adverse events such as a tube obstruction, accidental extubation, or a leaking cuff with the endotracheal tube in the submental route occur, which could endanger the patient. This paper describes the use of a LMA-FastrachTMETT in the submental endotracheal intubation of patients suffering from maxillofacial trauma. One of the patients was a 16-year-old male, and the other was a 19-year-old male. They were scheduled for an open reduction and internal fixation of the maxillofacial fracture including naso-orbital-ethmoidal (NOE) complex, and a zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture. A submental intubation with a LMA-FastrachTMETT was performed in both cases, and the operation proceeded without any difficulties. These cases show that the use of the LMA- FastrachTMETT can improve the safety and efficacy of submental endotracheal intubation. This is because the LMA- FastrachTMETT has a freely detachable connector, and is flexible enough to keep the patency despite the acute angle of airway.
Kim
Ki Jun
KJ
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Yongdong Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 146-92 Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-720, Korea.
Lee
Jong Seok
JS
Kim
Hyung-Jun
HJ
Ha
Ji-Young
JY
Park
Hyun
H
Han
Dong Woo
DW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D008297:Male