Fiberoptic intubation in the emergency department (2023)

Flexible bronchoscopy has been safely used for decades in ambulatory and critical care settings to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of tracheobronchial tree disorders. Although emergency physicians have the requisite skills to operate and interpret flexible bronchoscopy, no reports exist on the use of bronchoscopy by emergency physicians apart from endotracheal tube placement and confirmation.

The primary goal of this study was to describe the indications, outcomes and complications of flexible bronchoscopy performed by emergency physicians in an urban academic emergency department.

This was a single-center retrospective cohort study involving chart and video review of 146 patients over a 10.5-year study period. Patients of any age were included if they had been tracheally intubated or mechanically ventilated and underwent flexible bronchoscopy in the emergency department. After patients were identified, manual chart and video review was used to collect data on patient demographics, indications for intubation, indications for bronchoscopy, details of the bronchoscopy procedure, procedural findings, outcomes of the procedure, complications, provider training levels, and additional bronchoscopies performed after admission. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.

146 patients were included in the study and all bronchoscopies were performed or supervised by attending emergency physicians. After bronchoscopy, 24% of patients displayed improvement in oxygenation or lobar collapse while most patients had no change in clinical status. One patient had temporary hypoxemia after bronchoscopy. When another physician performed a subsequent bronchoscopy during admission, the findings were in agreement with the ED bronchoscopy 86% of the time.

At our institution, emergency physicians can safely and effectively use flexible bronchoscopy to diagnose and treat critically ill patients.

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In these situations, providers may be required to perform nasotracheal intubation by either blind nasotracheal intubation or fiberoptic nasal intubation (FNI) [2,5-8]. Nasotracheal intubation, in the Emergency Department (ED), is typically employed for awake, spontaneously breathing patients that require airway stabilization, as well as patients with suspected cervical spine injuries [6-9] Blind nasotracheal intubation has risks including damage to turbinates, bleeding, and improper placement of the endotracheal tube [7,8]. In addition, providers may be reluctant to preform blind nasotracheal intubation as they are not able to visualize common airway structures key to successful completion of orotracheal intubation.

Nasotracheal intubation is rarely performed in the emergency department (ED) but may be required in specific situations such as angioedema. Both blind and flexible nasal intubation (FNI) may be utilized; however, the preferred technique is unknown.

We performed a randomized, crossover manikin study using a convenience sample of emergency physicians and medical students from a local community teaching hospital. Using a simulated angioedema model, we sought to compare the time required to successfully perform nasotracheal intubation between traditional blind nasotracheal intubation and FNI. Participants performed nasal intubation with both FNI using the Ambu aScope Slim (Ambu, Ballarup, Denmark) and blind nasal intubation with a Parker Endotrol tube (Parker, CO) in random order. Number of attempts and time to successful intubation (TTI) were compared between treatment devices. Providers were stratified by experience level, defining junior providers as post-graduate level 2 and below (including medical students) and all others as senior providers.

We enrolled a convenience sample of 20 providers ranging from medical students to attendings. Overall, the TTI did not differ between blind and FNI intubation techniques (difference in seconds; 95% confidence interval) (21.4; −2.1 to 44.9; p = 0.07). This was consistent across provider types: senior providers (26.6; −17.7 to 71; p = 0.24) and junior providers (18.6; −8.3 to 46.5; p = 0.18). Number of attempts was similar between techniques (p = 0.55).

FNI and blind nasal intubation require similar time to intubation in this simulated model of angioedema.

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Therefore, the skill of community emergency physicians with the technique is likely to be similarly variable. Flexible fiberoptic intubation has been used by emergency physicians as a primary device and to rescue failed alternate techniques.48 However, surgical approaches to rescue techniques may be used more frequently than fiberoptic techniques.49

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Failure is attributed most often to poor visibility from blood, vomitus, and other secretions. Mlinek and coworkers [53] found that successful ED fiber-optic intubations averaged 2 minutes, whereas failures averaged 8 minutes; they recommended considering alternative approaches if intubation attempts take more than 3 minutes. Fiber-optically guided intubation can be accomplished using the nasal or oral route.

Hybrid percutaneous coronary intervention offers an alternative method of revascularization for high-risk surgical populations. We report the outcomes of a single-stage hybrid strategy in valvular cardiac surgery and explore its effects on operative risk and bleeding.

In a hybrid operating room, 26 patients underwent hybrid surgery consisting of femoral arterial access, then coronary stenting followed by valve surgery, with appropriate heparin dosing. Clopidogrel (300 mg) was given on anesthesia induction in nonreoperative cases, or at the time of cross clamping (after stenting) for reoperative cases.

Mean follow-up was 680 ± 277 days. The planned coronary stenting and surgery was successful in all patients. Major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events occurred in 1 patient, with no inhospital deaths observed. No vascular complication or stent thrombosis was observed with the described antiplatelet regimen. Outcomes were comparable to those of standard bypass valve replacement surgery.

This study demonstrates the feasibility and early safety of a single-stage hybrid strategy with coronary stenting followed by valvular surgery in patients at increased surgical risk. Hybrid procedures may lower operative risk by eliminating or reducing the need for bypass grafting.

von Willebrand Factor (vWF) and fibrinogen (Fb) are associated with hypercoagulability and thrombosis, which are the pathology and symptom of arterial disease. This research aims to study the effects of endovascular interventions on blood vWF and Fb levels in patients with diabetic peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Totally, 66 type 2 diabetic patients with PAD (intervention group) and 26 type 2 diabetic patients without PAD (control group) were enrolled. These patients are matched at gender, age, and diabetes duration. For PAD patients, percutaneous interventions (balloon dilation or stent implantation) were performed, and blood samples were collected before, during, and after interventions. Then, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and prothrombin time-derived method were used to detect the levels of vWF and Fb, respectively.

For intervention group, vWF and Fb levels in distal ischemic regions (vWF: 231.3%, Fb: 4.97g/L) were significantly higher than that in nonischemic regions (vWF: 147.6%, Fb: 3.91g/L, P value<0.01). After interventions, ischemia was improved, whereas vWF and Fb levels were significantly increased (vWF: 299.2%, Fb: 5.69g/L, P value<0.01). During the 2 weeks after interventions, vWF and Fb levels reached a peak (vWF: 199.3%, Fb: 4.96g/L) and then decreased gradually to lower than the preinterventional levels (vWF: 148.3%, Fb: 3.88g/L, P value<0.05).

Interventions caused increases of blood vWF and Fb in the first week postintervention, leading to endothelial dysfunction and blood hypercoagulability. It suggested endothelial function protection and anticoagulant therapies should be applied to diabetic PAD patients after interventions.

The present study aimed to elucidate the safety and effectiveness of a noble and unique airway management technique in which a pediatric intubation tube is used in adult patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing catheter ablation (CA) under continuous deep sedation.

In total, 246 consecutive patients with AF (mean age, 65±10 years; 60 women) underwent CA under dexmedetomidine-based continuous deep sedation. A 4-mm pediatric intubation tube guided by a 10-French intratracheal suction tube was inserted smoothly, and the tip of the tube was located at the base of the epiglottis. The maximum shifting distance of the heart (MSDH) was measured with the 3D mapping system (Ensite NavX system) before and after inserting the pediatric intubation tube.

At baseline, the MSDH of patients under continuous deep sedation was 23±14mm. The pediatric intubation tube reduced the MSDH to 13±6mm (mean reduction from baseline, 38.4±21.7%; P<0.0001). In contrast, oxygen saturation was significantly increased from 89±8% to 95±3% (P<0.0001). The mean distance between the nostril and base of the epiglottis was 16.6±0.5mm. Major periprocedural complications occurred in 9 (3.6%) patients including 3 (1.2%) cardiac tamponade and 6 (2.4%) phrenic nerve injury cases. Larger MSDH (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–1.25; P=0.007) was a significant predictor of major periprocedural complications. No major airway complications occurred, except in 3 patients (1.2%) who had minor nasal bleeding.

This unique airway management technique using a pediatric intubation tube for CA procedures performed in adult patients with AF under continuous deep sedation was easy, safe, and effective.

Intracameral air is a critical component of multiple ophthalmic surgical procedures and is frequently used in pediatric intraocular surgery. Among other benefits, it helps to facilitate postoperative examination in uncooperative children by allowing quick confirmation of a formed anterior chamber. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of a position-independent rebound tonometer (Icare PRO) in measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) intraoperatively in pediatric eyes with intracameral air compared to a commonly used handheld applanation tonometer (Tono-Pen XL).

In this prospective study of sequential children undergoing intraocular surgery, IOP was measured immediately following general anesthesia induction using both Icare PRO rebound tonometry and Tono-Pen XL tonometry, with instrument order randomized, in the supine child's eye(s). At completion of surgery after standard placement of intracameral air IOP was again measured using both instruments.

A total of 42 eyes of 30 children were included. Surgeries included glaucoma (25), cataract-related (16), and both (1). Mean preoperative IOP by Tono-Pen XL was 23.52±9.76mm Hg; by Icare PRO, 20.94±10.01mm Hg (P=0.0012). Mean IOP over intracameral air at surgery conclusion by Tono-Pen XL (n=41) was 12.66±4.90; by Icare PRO (n=42), 12.96±5.10mm Hg (P=0.46). One eye had postoperative IOP unrecordable by Tono-Pen XL but 7.9mm Hg by Icare PRO. Bland-Altman analysis, which included only paired measurements, showed a preoperative mean difference in IOP (ΔIOP_T−I) of 2.58mm Hg (95% CI, −6.86 to 12.02); postoperative mean ΔIOP_T−I of −0.42mm Hg [95% CI, −7.57 to 6.73].

Position-independent rebound tonometry (Icare PRO) accurately measured IOP in supine children's eyes postoperatively in the presence of intracameral air.