Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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The Esophageal-Tracheal Combitube (Combitube) is widely used for the management of the airway during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the pre-hospital setting. Although serious complications have been reported with the Combitube, there is a paucity of data relative to the frequency and nature of such complications. The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence and the nature of complications associated to the Combitube in the pre-hospital setting. ⋯ The use of the Combitube in the pre-hospital setting is associated with a notable incidence of serious complications.
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This study investigates the efficacy of preoxygenation with Mapleson A and Mapleson D breathing systems vs the circle system with CO2 absorber. ⋯ When using the Mapleson A and the circle systems for preoxygenation, an oxygen flow rate of 5 L.min-1 can adequately preoxygenate the patient within three minutes, while an oxygen flow of 10 L.min-1 is required to achieve a similar fractional end-tidal O2 concentration with the Mapleson D system.
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Case Reports
The laryngeal mask airway prevents supraglottic leak during ventilation through an uncuffed cricothyroidotomy.
A 'cannot intubate-cannot ventilate' situation requires emergency insertion of an infraglottic surgical airway. We present a case of postoperative macroglossia requiring emergency insertion of an uncuffed percutaneous cricothyroidotomy tube. The supraglottic leak was eliminated by the insertion of a laryngeal mask airway with an occluded 15-mm connector. ⋯ In a patient with postoperative macroglossia in a 'cannot intubate-cannot ventilate' situation, effective oxygenation was restored by insertion of an uncuffed cricothyroidotomy, but ventilation was affected by a substantial supraglottic leak. A new strategy using an inflated laryngeal mask airway with an occluded connector was utilized to successfully terminate the supraglottic leak, thereby restoring effective lung ventilation.