Awake Fiberoptic Intubation in Vocal Cord Palsies
UR01-UR03
Correspondence
Neeta Santha,
Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
E-mail: drneetas@yahoo.com
Respiratory distress associated with vocal cord palsy can be attributed to recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Bilateral vocal cord palsy can cause adduction of cords and respiratory distress. Airway, in these patients, can be compromised and result in unanticipated difficult intubation. The time frame to pass tube in such situations are less. This is a case series on successful airway management of three patients (71-year-old male, 37-year-old female, 70-year-old female) who presented with recurrent nerve palsy and airway obstruction. Thus the “cannot intubate-cannot oxygenate” situation was avoided in all the patients.