title: The patency of the airway via each upper airway orifice during general anesthesia.
abstract: The patency of the airway via each orifice was examined during general anesthesia in 112 patients by occluding other orifices in order to develop a method in which fiberoptic endotracheal intubation (FEI) and ventilation could be performed via different orifices. Ventilation was well maintained via the mouth in 61 (54.5%), via bilateral nostrils in 87 (77.7%), and via the unilateral right and left nostril in 67 (59.8%) and 73 (65.2%) patients, respectively. With the aid of an artificial airway, ventilation was well maintained via the mouth in 112 (100.0%), via bilateral nostrils in 111 (99.1%), and via the unilateral right and left nostril in 106 (94.6%) and 105 (93.8%) patients, respectively. Based on these findings, we developed a method in which FEI is performed via the nostril, while ventilation is performed with a mask applied over only the mouth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology & Resuscitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Onsengun, 791-02, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagaro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hamami
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ochi