title: Oxygenation via a Biventricular Assist Device for Emergency Airway Management.
abstract: A 56-year-old man receiving mechanical circulatory support via a biventricular assist device suffered an airway emergency secondary to bleeding into the airway. An improvised solution to gain control of the airway in the short term was devised, and an oxygenator was inserted into the circuit, providing an alternative means of gas exchange while definitive control of the airway was achieved. This case changed practice in our institution, where we now make contingency plans for emergency oxygenator insertion into the circuits of all patients with a biventricular assist device who show any sign of airway hemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: From the *University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester, England; †Department of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Central Manchester University Hospitals, Manchester, England; ‡Critical Care Research Group, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; and §Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Samuel Henry
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Howitt
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stirling
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krysiak
authors.forename: Bryce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pate
authors.forename: Marc Oliver
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Maybauer
mesh_terms: D058109:Airway Management / Q000379:methods*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000379:methods*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery