A synopsis of contemporary anesthesia airway management

New airway equipment has recently become available that has reduced morbidity and mortality. However, airway disas-ters still occur. This article discusses the prudent escalation of the use of advanced airway equipment to prevent these disasters. We illustrate when and how to use a gum elas-tic bougie and a video-laryngoscope (VL). We also strongly recommend the combined use of the VL together with a flex-ible intubation scope (FIS) for both asleep and awake intu-bation when dealing with a genuinely difficult airway. Blind intubations should no longer be performed today. When an airway has been recognized as difficult it is the safest to aim for an awake or at least a spontaneously breathing intuba-tion if circumstances do not allow for an awake intubation. Emergency cricothyroidotomy needs to be prepared for so that it can be executed rapidly in case the attempted awake intubation leads to complete airway obstruction.

(24) (PDF) Translational Perioperative and Pain Medicine A Synopsis of Contemporary Anesthesia Airway Management Preparation for Intubation. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330576040_Translational_Perioperative_and_Pain_Medicine_A_Synopsis_of_Contemporary_Anesthesia_Airway_Management_Preparation_for_Intubation [accessed Mar 22 2020].