BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE CobraPLUS and Cookgas air-Q are supraglottic airways expected to allow safe ventilation as well as reliable blind intubation. In a prospective, controlled trial, we hypothesised that quality of ventilation and success rate of blind endotracheal intubation of these new devices would be superior to the Fastrach intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA). When blind intubatio...

Background: Humidified heated high flow nasal cannula (HHHFNC), nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP), and nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) are three nasal non-invasive ventilation methods. The purpose of this study was to compare these three methods in decreasing intubation and mechanical ventilation rate in preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrom...

BACKGROUND Noninvasive ventilation is the treatment of choice for neonatal moderate respiratory distress (RD). Predictors of nasal ventilation failure are helpful in preventing clinical deterioration. Work on neonatal lung ultrasound has shown that the persistence of a hyperechogenic, "white lung" image correlates with severe distress in the preterm infant. We investigate the persistent white l...

A 60 yr-old male underwent anterior cervical fusion under general anesthesia. Neck swelling was observed at the next morning. Subsequently, emergent CT scanning was performed, which revealed a retropharyngeal hematoma narrowing the upper airway and right anterior neck hematoma significantly deviating the trachea and larynx. Nasal intubation was attempted but difficult passage of the endotrachea...

The causes of upper respiratory obstruction are reviewed. The symptoms and signs are graded according to severity. It is stressed that cyanosis indicates very severe obstruction, and that stridor at rest is a very informative local sign of severe obstruction. In severe obstruction respiratory depressant drugs and atropine are contraindicated while helium may be helpful. When general anaesthesia...

Treacher Collin’s syndrome (TCS) is a rare inherited condition characterized by bilateral and symmetric abnormalities of structures within the first and second bronchial arches. Patients with TCS present a serious problem to anesthetists maintaining their airway as upper airway obstruction and difficult tracheal intubation due to severe facial deformity. Because of retrognathia, airway manageme...