The Flexible Rhino-Laryngoscope for Awake Nasotracheal Intubation

Summary

Presented here is a protocol for awake nasotracheal intubation using a flexible rhino-laryngoscope with a 300 mm working length. As this tool is minimally invasive and easy to manipulate, awake intubation performed with a flexible rhino-laryngoscope is well-tolerated, fast, and safe for patients with difficult airways.

Abstract

Difficulties or failures in securing the airway still occur and can lead to permanent disabilities and mortality. Patients with head and neck pathologies obstructing airway access are at risk of airway management failure once they lose spontaneous respiration. Awake flexible scope intubation is considered the gold standard for controlling the airway in such patients. Following a feasibility trial involving 25 patients with challenging airways, this article presents a step-by-step protocol for awake nasotracheal intubation using a flexible video rhino-laryngoscope, which is significantly shorter than conventional intubating flexible scopes. The flexible video laryngoscope only exceeds the intubating tube length by a few centimeters, allowing the tube to closely follow the flexible scope during the procedure. Once the scope reaches the pharynx, it can be easily manipulated with one hand, enabling the operator to focus on the safe advancement of the scope-intubating tube assembly through the glottis. Based on previous results and experience gained, this article highlights the potential benefits of the technique: the opportunity for a minimally invasive "quick look" preoperatively to establish a final management plan, a more convenient and safer tool for navigating distorted anatomy with a lower chance of intubating tube impingement and airway injury, and a fast and smooth procedure resulting in improved patient satisfaction.

Introduction

Airway management has developed substantially over the last 20 years, but difficulties or failures in securing the airway still occur and can lead to permanent disabilities and mortality¹. Patients with known or unknown pathologies of the base of the tongue, hypopharynx, glottic aperture, or trismus pose a risk of difficult or impossible facemask ventilation, supraglottic device placement, and tracheal intubation after the induction of general anesthesia^1,2,3.

Standard preoperative airway examinations often fail to reveal th....

Protocol

The study, approved by the "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Ethics Committee (no. 100/12.02.2018) and registered under ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03546088, enrolled adult patients with ASA physical status I-IV⁸. These individuals had distorted airway anatomy due to laryngopharyngeal pathology and were scheduled for surgery under general anesthesia. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. The inclusion criteria were a Simplified Airway Risk Index.......

Discussion

There are several reasons why awake fiberoptic intubation is a relatively uncommon practice: it seems challenging to learn, the skill requires regular training to maintain proficiency, or a previous bad experience with this technique combined with the reluctance of an awake patient about the procedure^13,14.

When using a 600 mm fiberscope, the practitioners concentrate on how to hold the fiberscope in position, which may dilute their fo.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Anesthesia machinne	Draeger Fabius Plus	1x RS232
Cricothyrotomy Kit	CHINOOK MEDICAL GEAR, INC	2160-36401
Ephedrine 50 mg/mL	Zentiva	59447636327627
Epinephrine 1 mg/mL	Terapia SA	5944702207310
Face mask nebulizer	Ningbo Luke Medical devices	RT012-100
Fentanyl 0.05 mg/mL	Chiesi	W58348002
flexible extension corrugated tube -catheter mount	Ningbo Yingbe Medical Instruments	YM-A040
Irrigation cannula	Carl Roth	HPY 2.1	blunt tip, curved, 80 mm long irrigation cannula suitable for airway topicalisation
Lidocaine 2%, 4%	Zentiva	5944705004046
Lidocaine gel 2%	Montavit	9001505008066
Lidocaine spray 10%	Egis	5995327112169
Midazolam 5 mg/mL	Aquetant	P438804058
Reinforced endotracheal tubes oral/nasal	Create Biotech L	019-002-1065
TelePack X Led Monitor	Karl Storz	200450 20	HIGH RESOLUTION MONITOR, LED LIGHT SOURCE, FULL HD CAMERA CONTROL UNIT
Video Rhino-Laryngoscope	Karl Storz	11101 VP	Video Rhino-Laryngoscope direction of view 0°, angle of view 85°, deflection up/down 140°/140°, working length 30 cm
Vital signs monitor	Mindray	N17- E392290
Xylometazoline 1 mg/mL	Biofarma	59463429