Laryngospasm

Abstract: Several studies suggest that placement of an endotracheal tube (ETT) in a child with an upper respiratory infection (URI) increases the risk of complications. However, the development of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) has provided anesthesiologists with an alternative means of airway management. This study was therefore designed to evaluate the use of the LMA in children with URIS and to compare it with the ETT. The study sample consisted of 82 pediatric patients (3 mo to 16 yr of age) who presented for elective surgery with an URI. Patients with URIS were randomly allocated to receive either an ETT (n = 41) or a LMA (n = 41) and were followed for the appearance and severity of any perioperative complications. The two groups were similar with respect to age, gender, anesthesia and surgery times, number of attempts at tube placement, and presenting URI symptoms. There were no differences between groups in the incidence of cough, breathholding, excessive secretions, or arrhythmias. Although one patient in the ETT group required a muscle relaxant for laryngospasm, the overall incidence of laryngospasm was similar between the two groups. There was, however, a significantly greater incidence of mild bronchospasm in the ETT group compared with the LMA group (12.2% vs 0%, P < 0.05). The incidence of major arterial oxygen desaturation events (Spo, <90%) during placement of the airway device was also significantly increased in the ETT group (12.5% vs 0%, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the total number of all episodes of respiratory complications, i.e., breath-holding, laryngospasm, bronchospasm, and major oxygen desaturation, was significantly greater in the ETT group (35 vs 19, P < 0.05). Despite this, all respiratory complications were easily managed, and there were no adverse sequelae. Although the risks associated with anesthetizing a child with an URI remain controversial, results from this study suggest that the LMA offers a suitable alternative to the ETT for use in children with URIS. Implications: This study compares the use of the laryngeal mask airway with the endotracheal tube for airway management in children with upper respiratory infections. Results suggest that if the decision is made to proceed with anesthesia for the child with an upper respiratory infection, then the laryngeal mask airway provides a suitable alternative to the endotracheal tube. (Anesth Analg 1998;86:706-11)

Abstract: Chronic cough is often attributed to reflux, postnasal drip, or asthma. We present 28 patients who had chronic cough or throat-clearing as a manifestation of sensory neuropathy involving the superior or recurrent laryngeal nerve. They had been identified as having sudden-onset cough, laryngospasm, or throat-clearing after viral illness, surgery, or an unknown trigger. Cough and laryngospasm were the most common complaints. Seventy-one percent of the patients had concomitant superior laryngeal nerve or recurrent laryngeal nerve motor neuropathy documented by laryngeal electromyography or videostroboscopy. After a negative workup for reflux, asthma, or postnasal drip, these patients were treated with gabapentin at 100 to 900 mg/d. Symptomatic relief was achieved in 68% of the patients. Sensory neuropathy of the recurrent laryngeal nerve or superior laryngeal nerve should be considered in the workup for chronic cough or larynx irritability. Symptomatic management of patients with cough and laryngospasm due to a suspected sensory neuropathy may include the use of antiseizure medications such as gabapentin.

Abstract: Respiratory complications after tracheal extubation are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, suggesting that process improvements in this clinical area are needed. The decreased rate of respiratory adverse events occurring during tracheal intubation since the implementation of guidelines for difficult airway management supports the value of education and guidelines in advancing clinical practice. Accurate use of terms in defining concepts and describing distinct clinical conditions is paramount to facilitating understanding and fostering education in the treatment of tracheal extubation-related complications. As an example, understanding the distinction between extubation failure and weaning failure allows one to appreciate the need for pre-extubation tests that focus on assessing airway patency in addition to evaluating the ability to breathe spontaneously. Tracheal reintubation after planned extubation is a relatively rare event in the postoperative period of elective surgeries, with reported rates of reintubation in the operating room and postanesthesia care unit between 0.1% and 0.45%, but is a fairly common event in critically ill patients (0.4%-25%). Conditions such as obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, major head/neck and upper airway surgery, and obstetric and cervical spine procedures carry significantly increased risks of extubation failure and are frequently associated with difficult airway management. Extubation failure follows loss of upper airway patency. Edema, soft tissue collapse, and laryngospasm are among the most frequent mechanisms of upper airway obstruction. Planning for tracheal extubation is a critical component of a successful airway management strategy, particularly when dealing with situations at increased risk for extubation failure and in patients with difficult airways. Adequate planning requires identification of patients who have or may develop a difficult airway, recognition of situations at increased risk of postextubation airway compromise, and understanding the causes and underlying mechanisms of extubation failure. An effective strategy to minimize postextubation airway complications should include preemptive optimization of patients' conditions, careful timing of extubation, the presence of experienced personnel trained in advanced airway management, and the availability of the necessary equipment and appropriate postextubation monitoring.