Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2019 | Laryngoscopy | Editorial
How I manage a difficult intubation
Authors:
Jonathan D. Casey, Matthew W. Semler, Kevin High, Wesley H. Self
Published in:
Critical Care
|
Issue 1/2019
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Excerpt
In this article, we review our approach to a difficult intubation in a critically ill adult who is not in cardiac arrest and located in an emergency department (ED) or intensive care unit (ICU). Tracheal intubation may be difficult for either anatomical or physiological reasons. An anatomically difficult intubation (sometimes referred to as a “difficult airway”) involves challenges in viewing the vocal cords (difficult laryngoscopy) or passing a tube into the trachea (difficult endotracheal tube placement). A physiologically difficult intubation involves cardiopulmonary compromise, typically manifested as hypoxemia or hypotension. …