ABSTRACT
Objective: to compare intubating conditions, success rate, and ease of intubation by anesthesia trainees using Glidescope Videolaryngoscope [GVL] compared to Macintosh laryngoscope [MCL]
Study Design: comparative study
Place and Duration of Study: king Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 2012 to February 2015
Methodology: eighty adult patients ASA I and II with normal airway, scheduled to undergo elective surgery requiring endotracheal [ET] intubation were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: GVL and MCL. All intubations were performed by trainee residents having experience of more than 1 year and who had successfully performed more than 50 tracheal intubations with each device. Glottic view based on Cormack and Lehane's [C and L's] score and percentage of glottis opening [POGO] score, time to successful intubation, need of external pressure, and overall difficulty scores were compared using either GVL or MCL
Results: view of glottis based on C and L's classification was better [p < 0.001] and POGO score was higher [88.25 +/- 22.06 vs. 57.25 +/- 29.26, p < 0.001] with GVL compared to MCL. Time to intubate in seconds was [32.90 +/- 8.69 vs. 41.33 +/- 15.29, p = 0.004] and overall difficulty score was less 2.78 +/- 1.39 vs. 4.85 +/- 1.75 [p < 0.001] using GVL compared to MCL
Conclusion: residents found ET intubation to be faster and easier with superior glottic view using GVL compared to MCL in patients with normal airway
ABSTRACT
We describe two cases of sudden loss of display of all the monitors of Zeus anesthesia work station during operation, which is a major safety concern. Flying blind in anesthesia could be devastating. These cases attempt to highlight the need for greater vigilance by anesthesiologists and have implications for improvement in technology
ABSTRACT
The practice of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy [PDT] has gained popularity and acceptance due to the ease in acquiring its skill and low probability of complications. Nevertheless, PDT is associated with a few complications, some really life-threatening. We present a case of an abnormally located common carotid artery encountered during PDT in our intensive care unit. The procedure was electively posted, in an old patient chronically ventilated after a revived cardiac arrest. While identifying the landmarks on palpation pulsation was felt similar to arterial pulsation. This was confirmed using bedside portable ultrasonography and found to be the right common carotid artery forming a loop anterior to the trachea at the level of the third and fourth tracheal rings. The patient had a past history of thyroidectomy and this was suspected to be the primary reason for the altered course of the right common carotid artery