title: Lateral Cervical Spine Radiography to Demonstrate Absence of Bony Displacement After Intubation in a Patient with an Acute Type III Odontoid Fracture.
abstract: A 72-year-old patient with an acute traumatic Type III odontoid fracture presented to the operating room for an urgent orthopedic procedure with a history of uncontrolled gastroesophageal reflux, a full stomach, and active vomiting. Rather than fiberoptic intubation, a rapid sequence intubation with manual inline stabilization was performed using a videolaryngoscope. A lateral cervical spine radiograph immediately after intubation showed no change in alignment of the fracture of C1-C2. In the presence of cervical spine instability, a postintubation radiograph provides assurance that the cervical spine is appropriately aligned during subsequent surgery.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Anesthesia, The University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa; and †Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, The University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Easker
authors.forename: Bruno A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Policeni
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hindman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D007593:Joint Instability; D009809:Odontoid Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery