title: Prehospital emergency endotracheal intubation using the Bonfils intubation fiberscope.
abstract: Among all prehospital emergency intubations, difficulties occur in 7-10%. Furthermore, intubation conditions often worsen when the cervical spine is immobilized in trauma patients. We report on six patients in whom the Bonfils intubation fiberscope, a reusable, rigid fiberoptic device, was used for emergency endotracheal intubation in the field. Three of these patients had an anticipated or unanticipated difficult airway: two trauma patients with immobilized cervical spine and one patient in cardiac arrest in whom direct laryngoscopy failed twice. Endotracheal intubation with the Bonfils intubation fiberscope was successful in all cases in the first attempt. The Bonfils intubation fiberscope therefore demonstrated its value as an additional airway management device in both emergency and prehospital settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, J.W. Goethe-University Medical School, Frankfurt, Germany. c.byhahn@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Byhahn
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meininger
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Walcher
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hofstetter
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zwissler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000150:complications; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications