Split cricoideo anterior posterior: una novedosa técnica para evitar la traqueotomía en parálisis cordal bilateral en pacientes pediátricos / Posterior anterior cricoid split: a cutting-edge technique to avoid tracheostomy in bilateral cordal paralysis in pediatric patients

Introducción: La parálisis cordal bilateral en aducción es la segunda causa de estridor congénito y genera una grave obstrucción de la vía aérea, debutando con estridor. La traqueotomía ha sido durante mucho tiempo el gold estándar para el tratamiento de esta afección, no exenta de complicaciones. Existen procedimientos que intentan evitar la traqueotomía, como el split cricoideo anterior posterior endoscópico (SCAPE). Objetivo: Presentar experiencia con SCAPE en pacientes pediátricos como tratamiento alternativo de parálisis cordal bilateral en aducción. Material y Método: Análisis retrospectivo de los resultados quirúrgicos obtenidos en pacientes con parálisis cordal bilateral en aducción tratados con SCAPE entre enero de 2016 y diciembre de 2019 en el Hospital Guillermo Grant Benavente de Concepción, Chile. Resultados: Siete pacientes se sometieron a SCAPE. Todos los pacientes presentaban insuficiencia respiratoria severa, cinco requirieron asistencia ventilatoria mecánica. Seis pacientes tenían el diagnóstico de parálisis cordal bilateral (PCB) congénita y uno PCB secundaria a tumor de tronco cerebral. Cuatro pacientes presentaron comorbilidad de la vía aérea: dos pacientes presentaron estenosis subglótica grado I y dos pacientes presentaron laringomalacia que requirió manejo quirúrgico. Los días promedio de intubación fueron once días. Ningún paciente requirió soporte ventilatorio postoperatorio, sólo un paciente recibió oxigenoterapia nocturna debido a hipoventilación secundaria a lesión de tronco. Ningún paciente ha presentado descompensación respiratoria grave. Un 40% ha recuperado movilidad cordal bilateral. Conclusión: Split cricoideo anteroposterior endoscópico es una alternativa eficaz para tratar el PCB en pacientes pediátricos. Nuestro estudio evidencia que es una alternativa a la traqueotomía, con excelentes resultados y menor morbimortalidad.

Introduction: Bilateral vocal fold paralysis in adduction is the second cause of congenital stridor and generates a serious obstruction of the airway. Tracheostomy has long been the gold standard for the treatment of this condition, but it has inherent complications. There are procedures that try to avoid tracheotomy, such as the endoscopic anterior posterior cricoid split (EAPCS). Aim: Present our experience with EAPCS in pediatric patients as a treatment for bilateral vocal fold paralysis in adduction. Material and Method: Retrospective analysis of the surgical results obtained in patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis in adduction treated with EAPCS between January 2016 and December 2019 at Guillermo Grant Benavente Hospital in Concepción, Chile. Results: Seven patients underwent EAPCS. All patients had severe respiratory failure, five required mechanical ventilation assistance. Six patients were diagnosed with congenital bilateral cord palsy (BCP) and one BCP secondary to a brainstem tumor. Four patients had airway comorbidity: two patients had grade I subglottic stenosis and two patients had laryngomalacia that required surgical management. The average days of intubation were eleven days. No patient required post op invasive/non-invasive ventilation, only one patient received nocturnal oxygen therapy due to hypoventilation secondary to trunk injury. None of the patients has presented severe respiratory decompensation. Forty percent have recovered bilateral chordal mobility. Conclusion: SCAPE is a cutting-edge and effective alternative to treat PCB in pediatric patients. Our study shows that it is an alternative to tracheotomy, with excellent results and lower morbidity and mortality.

Anesthetic induction and endotracheal intubation in the sitting position due to the fixed forearm caught by a meat grinder

Abstract A male patient was scheduled for urgent amputation of his right forearm. His right forearm was stuck inside the insertion slot of a meat grinder, resulting in severe pain to his injured arm. His upper body could not move to sit in a semi-upright position. An endotracheal tube was successfully placed after rapid sequence intubation using a video laryngoscope from behind the patient on the first attempt. This case report is the first documentation of successful anesthetic induction with subsequent endotracheal intubation using a video laryngoscope from behind an injured patient whose upper body was upright with limited positioning.

A prospective validation and comparison of three multivariate models for prediction of difficult intubation in adult patients

Abstract Purpose Several bedside clinical tests have been proposed to predict difficult tracheal intubation. Unfortunately, when used alone, these tests show less than ideal prediction performance. Some multivariate tests have been proposed considering that the combination of some criteria could lead to better prediction performance. The goal of our research was to compare three previously described multivariate models in a group of adult patients undergoing general anesthesia. Methods This study included 220 patients scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia. A standardized airway evaluation which included modified Mallampati class (MM), thyromental distance (TMD), mouth opening distance (MOD), head and neck movement (HNM), and jaw protrusion capacity was performed before anesthesia. Multivariate models described by El-Ganzouri et al., Naguib et al., and Langeron et al. were calculated using the airway data. After anesthesia induction, an anesthesiologist performed the laryngoscopic classification and tracheal intubation. The sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the models were calculated. Results The overall incidence of difficult laryngoscopic view (DLV) was 12.7%. The area under curve (AUC) for the Langeron, Naguib, and El-Ganzouri models were 0.834, 0.805, and 0.752, respectively, (Langeron > El-Ganzouri, p= 0.004; Langeron = Naguib, p= 0.278; Naguib = El-Ganzouri, p= 0.101). The sensitivities were 85.7%, 67.9%, and 35.7% for the Langeron, Naguib, and El-Ganzouri models, respectively. Conclusion The Langeron model had higher overall prediction performance than that of the El-Ganzouri model. Additionally, the Langeron score had higher sensitivity than the Naguib and El-Ganzouri scores, and therefore yielded a lower incidence of false negatives.

Predictive performance of thyromental height for difficult laryngoscopies in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Thyromental height (TMH) was first reported as a great single test for prediction of difficult laryngoscopies, although further studies have shown variable estimates of its accuracy. We thus performed this meta-analysis to summarize the predictive values of TMH mainly for prediction of difficult laryngoscopies. Methods A search in PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS, and Scielo was conducted in June 2020. We included prospective cohorts fully reported with patients ≥ 16 years old, providing data on predictive values of TMH for prediction of either difficult laryngoscopies or difficult intubations. Diagnostic properties and association between TMH and Cormack and Lehanes's classification by direct laryngoscopy were evaluated. A random-effects meta-analysis using hierarchical models was performed. Results Eight studies evaluating 2844 patients were included. All included studies had high risk of bias and low concern regarding applicability. There was significant heterogeneity among the studies. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and positive (LR+) and negative (LR-) likelihood ratios were as follows: DOR, 57.94 (95% CI: 18.19-184.55); LR+, 11.32 (95% CI: 4.28-29.92); and LR-, 0.23 (95% CI: 0.15-0.35). Summary sensitivity and specificity for studies with common threshold were 82.6 (95% CI: 74-88.8%) and 93.5 (95% CI: 79-98.2%), respectively. The estimated AUC was 81.1%. Conclusion TMH arises as a good predictor of difficult laryngoscopies in adult patients from diverse populations presenting better predictive values than most previously reported bedside tests. However, the high risk of bias throughout the studies may have skewed the results of the individual research as well as the summary points of the present meta-analysis.

Preoperative airway ultrasound assessment in the sniffing position: a prospective observational study

Abstract Background: Clinical airway screening tests intend to predict difficult airways, but none have a high predictive value. Recent systematic reviews correlate ultrasound with difficult laryngoscopy. This study aimed primarily to correlate ultrasound measurements of anatomical upper airway structures in the sniffing position with difficult direct laryngoscopy. The secondary aim was to observe gender-based differences. Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional, single-center observational study included 209 patients requiring general anesthesia for elective surgery. Preoperatively, we performed six clinical airway assessments and three ultrasound measurements, which were the Distance from Skin to the Hyoid Bone (DSHB), to the Epiglottis (DSE), and to the anterior commissure of the vocal cords (DSAC) in a sniffing position. Benumof's criteria for the "best view at the first attempt" for direct laryngoscopy assessed the difficulty of laryngoscopy. Results: The distance from skin to the epiglottis was the best predictor of direct difficult laryngoscopy (defined as Cormack-Lehane grade > 2b) with a minimum thickness cut-off at 2.70 ± 0.19 cm (sensitivity 91.3%; specificity 96.9%). The skin to the hyoid bone distance cut-off was 1.41 ± 0.30 cm with moderate correlation (sensitivity 80.4%; specificity 60.1%). No correlation was found for the distance to the anterior commissure of the vocal cords. In women compared to men, the skin to the epiglottis distance was more sensitive (92.3% vs. 90.9%) and specific (98.8% vs. 95.2%). Conclusions: DSE in the sniffing position is the most reliable parameter for preoperative airway ultrasound assessment in the Caucasian population, with higher sensitivity and specificity in women, and might be considered as an independent predictor for direct difficult laryngoscopy.

Upper airway angle and glottic height: a prospective cohort to evaluate two new features for airway prediction

Abstract Background: Predicting difficult direct laryngoscopies remains challenging and improvements are needed in preoperative airway assessment. We conceived two new tests (the upper airway angle and the glottic height) and assessed their association with difficult direct laryngoscopies as well as their predictive performance. Methods: A prospective cohort was conducted with 211 patients undergoing general anesthesia for surgical procedures. We assessed the association between difficult laryngoscopies and modified Mallampati Test (MMT), Upper Lip Bite Test (ULBT), Mandibular Length (ML), Neck Circumference (NC), Mouth Opening (MO), Sternomental Distance (SMD), Thyromental Distance (TMD), Upper Airway Angle (UAA), and Glottic Height (GH). We also estimated their predictive values. Results: Difficult laryngoscopy was presented by 12 patients (5.7%). Six tests were significantly associated with difficult laryngoscopies and their area under the ROC curve, and 95% CIs were as follows: UAA = 88.82 (81.86-95.78); GH = 86.43 (72.67-100); ML = 83.75 (72.77-94.74); NC = 79.17 (64.98-93.36); MO = 65.58 (45.13-86.02); and MMT = 77.89 (68.37-87.41). Conclusion: We have found two new features (the UAA and the GH) to be significantly associated with the occurrence of difficult direct laryngoscopies. They also presented the best predictive performance amongst the nine evaluated tests in our cohort of patients. We cannot ensure, however, these tests to be superior to other regularly used bedside tests based on our estimated 95% CIs.

The impact of introducing a videolaryngoscope in the initial training of laryngoscopy for undergraduate medical students: a simulation randomized trial

Abstract Introduction: Adequate and continuous airway management by health professionals is fundamental to ensure patient safety and protection. Among several techniques, laryngoscopy for orotracheal intubation is considered a basic skill, so it is taught and learned in medical school and used during the future years of professional practice. However, in some clinical scenarios, physical and anatomical characteristics can make laryngoscopy exceedingly difficult. In the last decade, some new devices have emerged to apply indirect or video-assisted imaging systems, so-called videolaryngoscopes. They have shown great efficiency in difficult intubation cases and have improved teaching and training. Our study introduced a videolaryngoscope, the McGrathTM MAC, in the regular laryngoscopy training rotation for 3rd-year undergraduate medical students and evaluated whether there was any associated optimization of the students' performance. Method: Students from two different classes and years (2017 and 2018) were randomly divided into two groups and received theoretical and practical training in the techniques of Direct Laryngoscopy (DL) and Videolaryngoscopy (VL). The students in each group applied the manoeuvres and simulated three tracheal intubation attempts on mannequins. They were evaluated for their success rate on the first attempt, the time required to finalize the intubation, and the visualization of the glottic structures according to the classification of Cormack-Lehane (C&L). Results: Two hundred and four students with an average age of 21 ± 2 years participated in the study; the groups were similar. There was a significant difference between the VL and DL groups in the 1st attempt success rate (97% and 89.4%, respectively, p = 0.0497 - 95% CI), but such a difference was not seen for the other attempts or regarding the number of oesophageal intubations (3% and 7.7%). The students in the VL group were faster than those in the DL group in all intubation attempts; in parallel, the vast majority of the VL group reported excellent visualization conditions, with 75% of the attempts classified as Cormack-Lehane grade 1. Conclusion: The introduction of a videolaryngoscope in medical students' training improved the visualization of anatomical structures and allowed tracheal intubation maneuvers to be performed faster and with a higher success rate on the first attempt. Thus, under the conditions of this prospective study, the videolaryngoscope had a positive impact on training and proved to be a promising tool for teaching laryngoscopy.

Quiste subglótico adquirido como causa inhabitual de estridor en pediatría. Revisión de la literatura a propósito de un caso / Subglottic cyst as an unusual cause of stridor in pediatric patients. Literature review and case report

El estridor corresponde a un signo altamente frecuente, sin embargo, es heterogéneo e inespecífico. Existen múltiples causas conocidas y manejadas por el otorrinolaringólogo. Los quistes subglóticos constituyen una entidad infrecuente de estridor en pediatría, siendo la población más frecuentemente afectada, niños con antecedentes de prematurez e intubación por períodos prolongados. Su manifestación clínica es variada, desde cuadros asintomáticos a pacientes con riesgo inminente de pérdida de la vía aérea. El diagnóstico suele ser tras largos períodos desde el antecedente de intubación. Su resolución suele ser quirúrgica, teniendo como principal complicación asociada la estenosis subglótica y las recurrencias. Se presenta el caso de una preescolar con un episodio de estridor y distrés respiratorio rápidamente progresivos, cuyo diagnóstico intraoperatorio resultó en quistes subglóticos submucosos bilaterales, que requirieron resolución quirúrgica.

Stridor corresponds to a highly frequent sign; however, it is heterogeneous and nonspecific. There are multiple causes that are widely known and managed by the otorhinolaryngolo-gist. Subglottic cysts are an infrequent entity of stridor in pediatric patients, where the most frequently affected population are childrens with history of prematurity and intubation for long periods. It's clinical manifestations are wide, from asymptomatic cases to patients with imminent risk of airway loss. Their manifestation its often after long periods after the moment of intubation. The management often involves surgery, and the main associated complication is subglottic stenosis and recurrences. We present the case of a preschool girl with an episode of rapidly progressive stridor and respiratory distress; whose intraoperative diagnosis was bilateral subglottic submucosal cysts that required surgical resolution.

Administración de surfactante mediante técnica mínimamente invasiva en neonatos / Administration of Surfactants by Minimally Invasive Technique in Neonates

Introducción: La administración de surfactante pulmonar tradicionalmente se realiza mediante un tubo endotraqueal, pero desde hace años existen técnicas menos invasivas como la administración mediante másscara laríngea, aerosolización y cateterización traqueal. Objetivos: Demostrar la evolución de tres neonatos que recibieron surfactante pulmonar mediante una cateterización traqueal y describir la técnica empleada para su administración. Presentación de casos: Se atendieron tres recién nacidos de muy bajo peso al nacer, que ingresaron en la unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatales del Hospital General Docente Iván Portuondo, San Antonio de los Baños, con síndrome de dificultad respiratoria del prematuro. Todos se trataron con surfactante pulmonar exógeno, Surfacen®, el cual se administró mediante cateterización traqueal empleando un catéter umbilical. Se trata de una técnica mínimamente invasiva que se realizó sin dificultades y siempre en el primer intento. Los tres pacientes mostraron mejoría clínica, gasométrica y radiográfica con esta forma de administración y solo uno de ellos tuvo una complicación durante el proceder, que no constituyó una limitante para su realización. Este método permitió mantener una ventilación no invasiva, y fue innecesaria la intubación endotraqueal en los neonatos. Los profesionales encargados de la ejecución de esta técnica recibieron entrenamiento previo. Conclusiones: La administración mínimamente invasiva de surfactante pulmonar resultó un método eficaz con el que se consiguió la resolución total del cuadro de dificultad respiratoria en los neonatos. El procedimiento empleado permitió una administración rápida y segura del Surfacen®(AU)

Introduction: Pulmonary surfactant administration is traditionally performed by endotracheal tube, but for years there have been less invasive techniques such as administration by laryngeal mask, aerosolization and tracheal catheterization. Objectives: To demonstrate the evolution of three neonates who received pulmonary surfactant via tracheal catheterization and to describe the technique used for its administration. Case presentation: Three very low birth weight newborns were attended and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Iván Portuondo General Teaching Hospital, at San Antonio de los Baños municipality, with preterm respiratory distress syndrome. All were treated with exogenous pulmonary surfactant, Surfacen®, which was administered by tracheal catheterization using an umbilical catheter. This is a minimally invasive technique that was performed without difficulty and always on the first attempt. The three patients showed clinical, gasometric and radiographic improvement with this form of administration and only one of them had a complication during the procedure, which did not constitute a limitation for its performance. This method allowed maintaining non-invasive ventilation, and endotracheal intubation was unnecessary in neonates. The professionals in charge of performing this technique received previous training. Conclusions: Minimally invasive administration of pulmonary surfactant was an effective method that achieved total resolution of respiratory distress in neonates. The procedure used allowed rapid and safe administration of Surfacen®(AU)

Diagnosis and treatment of 18 cases of Chiari malformation with hoarseness / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of Chiari malformation patients with hoarseness and other otorhinolaryngological symptoms. Methods: The clinical data of 18 patients of Chiari malformation with hoarseness were retrospectively collected, which was composed of 5 men and 13 women, aged 3-71 with median age of 52. All the patients were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 1989 to January 2020. All patients underwent brain MRI and laryngoscopy. The patient's symptoms and first diagnosis department, diagnosis time, total course of disease, hoarseness course, diagnosis and treatment, and postoperative recovery time were summarized. Follow-up time was 3-16 years, with median follow-up time of 6.5 years. Descriptive methods were used for analysis. Results: The first visit departments of 18 patients included neurology (9 cases), otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery (5 cases), pediatrics (2 cases), orthopedics (1 case) and respiratory department (1 case). Except for the 7 cases in neurology department, the other 11 patients were not diagnosed in time. The disease duration of 18 patients with Chiari malformation ranged from 2 months to 5 years, and hoarseness was present from 20 days to 5 years. After diagnosis, 9 patients underwent posterior fossa decompression surgery, and 1 of them underwent syrinx drainage at the same time. The symptoms of 8 cases improved significantly after operation, with the improvement time from 1 to 30 days. In addition, 9 patients chose conservative treatment, among whom 8 had no improvement in symptoms and 6 progressed. Conclusions: Posterior fossa decompression is an effective treatment for Chiari malformation, and the prognosis is good. Timely diagnosis and treatment can improve the prognosis of patients.

Clinical features and management analysis of 11 cases of laryngocele / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To summarize clinical features and our experience of the diagnosis and treatment of laryngocele. Methods: Clinical data of 11 laryngocele patients in department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2012 to December 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, including 9 men and 2 women, aged from 12 to 75 years, with median age of 56 years. Electronic laryngoscope was performed in 10 of all patients, laryngeal CT in 10 and cervical color ultrasound in 5 before operation.All the operations were performed under general anesthesia, and the external cervical approach was used for external and combined laryngocele. The internal laryngocele was resected by low temperature plasma through transoral endoscopy. Patients were followed up regularly after operation to evaluate the effect. Clinical feature, types of lesions, imaging findings, surgical approaches and follow-up results were analyzed through descriptive statistical method. Results: Eleven laryngocele patients were divided into mixed type (n=6), internal type (n=4) and external type (n=1).Nine patients presented with hoarseness or dysphonia, 7 with cervical mass and 1 with airway obstruction. Surgical resections were done through external cervical approach (n=7)or transoral endoscopic approach (n=4). All the operations were successful and no complication occurred. All cases were followed up from 17 to 110 months. No recurrence was encountered. Conclusions: Laryngocele is a rare lesion with atypical clinical presentation. Preoperative imaging including CT scan and electronic laryngoscope is essential to evaluate the location, and extent of the lesion, and to make the surgical plan.Complete surgical excision is required. Surgical resection is the only effective method for the treatment of laryngocele.

Evaluation of thyromental height as a predictor of difficult laryngoscopy and difficult intubation: a cross-sectional observational study

Abstract Background and objectives Several anthropometric measurements have been suggested to identify a potentially difficult airway. We studied thyromental height (TMH) as a predictor of difficult laryngoscopy and difficult intubation. We also compared TMH, ratio of height to thyromental distance (RHTMD), and thyromental distance (TMD) as predictors of difficult airway. Methods This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 300 adult surgical patients requiring tracheal intubation. Preoperatively airway characteristics were assessed. Standard anesthesia was administered. Degree of difficulty with mask ventilation, laryngoscopic view, duration of laryngoscopy, and difficulty in tracheal intubation (intubation difficulty scale score) were noted. Multivariate logistics regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors for difficult laryngoscopy. Results Laryngoscopy was difficult in 46 of 300 (15.3%) patients; all 46 patients had Cormack-Lehane grade 3 view. Duration of laryngoscopy was 27 ± 11 s in patients with difficult laryngoscopy and 12.7 ± 3.9 s in easy laryngoscopy; p= 0.001. Multivariate analysis identified that TMH, presence of short neck, and history of snoring were independently associated with difficult laryngoscopy. Incidence of difficult intubation was 17.0%. A shorter TMH was associated with higher IDS scores; r = -0.16, p= 0.001. TMH and duration of laryngoscopy were found to be negatively correlated; a shorter TMH was associated with a longer duration of laryngoscopy; r = -0.13, p= 0.03. The cut-off threshold value for TMH in our study is 4.4 cm with a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 54%. Conclusion Thyromental height predicts difficult laryngoscopy and difficult intubation. TMD and RHTMD did not prove to be useful as predictors of difficult airway.

Is Mallampati classification a good screening test? A prospective cohort evaluating the predictive values of Mallampati test at different thresholds

Abstract Background There is currently some discussion over the actual usefulness of performing preoperative upper airway assessment to predict difficult airways. In this field, modified Mallampati test (MMT) is a widespread tool used for prediction of difficult airways showing only a feeble predictive performance as a diagnostic test. We therefore aimed at evaluating if MMT test would perform better when used as a screening test rather than diagnostic. Methods An accuracy prospective study was conducted with 570 patients undergoing general anesthesia for surgical procedures. We collected preoperatively data on sex, age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), ASA physical status, and MMT. The main outcome was difficult laryngoscopy defined as Cormack and Lahane classes 3 or 4. Bivariate analyses were performed to build three different predictive models with their ROC curves. Results Difficult laryngoscopy was reported in 36 patients (6.32%). Sex, ASA physical status, and MMT were associated with difficult laryngoscopy, while body mass index (BMI) was not. The MMT cut-off with the highest odds ratio was the class II, which also presented significantly higher sensitivity (94.44%). The balanced accuracy was 67.11% (95% CI: 62.78-71.44%) for the cut-off of class II and 71.68% (95% CI: 63.83-79.54) for the class III. Conclusion MMT seems to be more clinically useful when the class II is employed as the threshold for possible difficult laryngoscopies. At this cut-off, MMT shows the considerable highest sensitivity plus the highest odds ratio, prioritizing thus the anticipation of difficult laryngoscopies.

La videolaringoscopia es una alternativa segura en el paciente despierto con vía aérea difícil anticipada. Reporte de Caso / Videolaryngoscopy is a Safe Alternative in Awake Patients with Anticipated Difficult Airway. Case Report / A videolaringoscopia é uma alternativa segura no paciente acordado com via aérea difícil antecipada. Relato de caso

Introducción. El manejo de la vía aérea difícil anticipada es un reto anestésico que supone la valoración preoperatoria de las características anatómicas y los factores de riesgo específicos del paciente. La intubación difícil se presenta en 1.6 de 1,000 eventos y la intubación fallida en 0.06 de 1,000 eventos. El objetivo de este reporte es mostrar la importancia del uso de dispositivos (específicamente videolaringoscopio) en pacientes con predicción de vía aérea difícil. Presentación del caso. Hombre de 63 años con gran masa facial con extensión a nariz, labio superior, erosión a nivel del maxilar superior que ocupaba cavidad oral, con predictores de ventilación e intubación difícil, programado para rinectomía, osteotomía Lefort II, reconstrucción y traqueostomía, con intubación exitosa con videolaringoscopio en primer intento bajo sedación consciente y ventilación espontánea. Discusión. La vía aérea difícil es un escenario relacionado a factores externos e internos del paciente y a complicaciones pre e intraoperatorias. El videolaringoscopio es una herramienta útil que permite la intubación exitosa y disminuye los posibles eventos adversos (como se observó en el paciente del caso presentado) y es descrito en diferentes reportes de casos con compromiso parcial o total de la vía aérea. Conclusión. La videolaringoscopia, en casos de vía aérea difícil anticipada, está asociada con un menor tiempo de intubación, un buen perfil de seguridad y una alta tasa de éxito, comparable a la del fibrobroncoscopio, se logra la intubación en el primer intento en la mayoría de las veces y, por ello, debería considerarse como primera opción.

Introduction. Management of an anticipated difficult airway is an anesthetic challenge that involves preoperative assessment of the patient's specific anatomic characteristics and risk factors. Difficult intubation occurs in 1.6 of 1,000 events and failed intubation in 0.06 of 1,000 events. The objective of this report is to show the importance of the use of devices (specifically videolaryngoscope) in patients with predicted difficult airway. Case Presentation. 63-year-old man with large facial mass with extensión to the nose, upper lip, erosion at the level of the upper jaw occupying the oral cavity, with predictors of ventilation and difficult intubation, scheduled for rhinectomy, Lefort II osteotomy, reconstruction and tracheostomy, with successful intubation with videolaryngoscope on the first attempt under conscious sedation and spontaneous ventilation. Discussion. Difficult airway is a scenario related to external and internal patient factors and to pre- and intraoperative complications. The videolaryngoscope is a useful tool that allows successful intubation and decreases possible adverse events (as observed in the patient of the case presented) and is described in different reports of cases with partial or total airway compromise. Conclusion. Videolaryngoscopy, in cases of anticipated difficult airway, is associated with a shorter intubation time, a good safety profile and a high success rate, comparable to that of fibrobronchoscopy, intubation is achieved on the first attempt in most cases and should therefore be considered as a first choice.

Introdução. O manejo da via aérea difícil antecipada é um desafio anestésico que envolve a avaliação pré-operatória das características anatômicas e dos fatores de risco específicos do paciente. A intubação difícil ocorre em 1.6 de 1,000 eventos e a intubação falha em 0.06 de 1,000 eventos. O objetivo deste relato é mostrar a importância do uso de dispositivos (especificamente videolaringoscópio) em pacientes com previsão de via aérea difícil. Apresentação do caso. Homem de 63 anos com grande massa facial estendendo-se ao nariz, lábio superior e erosão ao nível do maxilar superior que ocupava a cavidade oral, com preditores de ventilação e intubação difícil, programado para rinectomia, osteotomia Lefort II, reconstrução e traqueostomia, com intubação bem-sucedida, com videolaringoscópio na primeira tentativa sob sedação consciente e ventilação espontânea. Discussão. A via aérea difícil é um cenário relacionado a fatores externos e internos do paciente e a complicações pré e intraoperatórias. O videolaringoscópio é uma ferramenta útil que permite o sucesso da intubação e reduz possíveis eventos adversos (como observado no paciente do caso apresentado) e está descrito em diversos relatos de casos com comprometimento parcial ou total da via aérea. Conclusão. A videolaringoscopia, em casos de via aérea difícil antecipada, está associada a um menor tempo de intubação, um bom perfil de segurança e uma alta taxa de sucesso, comparável à fibrobroncoscopia, a intubação é realizada na primeira tentativa na maioria dos casos e, portanto, deve ser considerada como a primeira opção.

Disfonia: retrato de um grupo populacional na cidade de Guarulhos / Dysphonia: portrait of a population group in the city of Guarulhos / Disfonía: retrato de un grupo de población en la ciudad de Guarulhos

Introdução: A disfonia causa impacto na qualidade de vida e no mercado de trabalho, sendo sinto-ma importante para triagem de neoplasia laríngea. Objetivo: Realizar avaliação estatística de um grupo populacional da cidade de Guarulhos com queixa de disfonia. Método: Trata-se de um estudo transversal com utilização de amostra correspondente a 2.564 exames, videolaringoscópicos ou nasofibrolaringoscó-picos, de pacientes acima de 5 anos de idade, no município de Guarulhos da região metropolitana de São Paulo, pelo mesmo médico otorrinolaringologista e pelo mesmo fonoaudiólogo, entre os meses de abril de 2011 e abril de 2012. Avaliaram-se as alterações no diagnóstico da voz, levando em consideração idade e sexo dos pacientes. Foram descritos os sexos das pessoas segundo diagnósticos com uso de frequências absolutas e relativas e verificou-se a existência de associação entre sexo e diagnóstico através do uso de teste da razão de verossimilhanças (Kirkwood e Sterne, 2006). As idades foram descritas, segundo diagnósticos, com uso de medidas resumo (média, desvio-padrão (DP), mediana, mínimo e máximo), e foram comparadas as idades entre os diagnósticos, com uso de teste análise de variâncias (ANOVA) seguido de comparações múltiplas de Tukey (Neter et al., 1996). Os testes foram realizados com nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Há maior frequência de homens com diagnóstico de neoplasias ou câncer que nos demais diagnósticos. Dos 2.564 exames, 477 apresentaram laringite crônica, sendo 69% do gênero feminino; 279 disfonia funcional, 63,4% do gênero feminino; 137 alterações estruturais míni-mas (AEM), 69,3% do gênero feminino; 36 disfunções neurológicas, sendo igualmente divididos entre os gêneros; e 12 apresentaram neoplasias, sendo 83,3% do masculino. Conclusão: Verificou-se maior número de alterações benignas no gênero feminino. Neoplasias e disfunções neurológicas predominaram no gênero masculino. A disfonia funcional e as AEM ocorrem em pacientes abaixo dos 40 anos, enquanto as demais ocorrem até em idades avançadas, acima dos 50 anos.

Introduction: Dysphonia impacts in quality of life and in the labor market, being an important symptom for screening laryngeal neoplasia. Objective: Perform a statistical evaluation of a population group in the city of Guarulhos complaining of dysphonia. Method: This is a cross-sectional study using a sample corresponding to 2,564 examinations, videolaryngoscopic or nasofibrolaryngoscopic, of pa-tients over 5 years of age, in the municipality of Guarulhos of the metropolitan region of São Paulo, by the same ENT physician and the same speech therapist, between April 2011 and April 2012. Changes in voice diagnosis were evaluated taking into account the age and gender of the patient. The sex of subjects was described according to diagnoses using absolute and relative frequencies, and the existence of an association between sex and diagnosis was verified through the use of likelihood ratio testing (Kirkwood and Sterne, 2006). Ages were described according to diagnoses using summary measurements (mean, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum), and compared the ages between diagnoses, using variance analysis (ANOVA) followed by multiple comparisons by Tukey (Neter et al., 1996). The tests were performed with a significance level of 5%. Results: There is a higher frequency of men diagnosed with neoplasms or cancer than in other diagnoses. Of the 2,564 tests, 477 had chronic laryngitis, 69% in females; 279 functional dysphonia, 63.4% female; 137 minimal structural alterations (AEM), 69.3% female; 36 neurological dysfunctions, being equally divided between genders; and 12 presented neoplasms, 83.3% in males. Conclusion: There were a higher number of benign alterations in the female gender. Neoplasms and neurological dysfunctions predominated in males. Functional dysphonia and AEM occur in patients under 40 years of age, while the others occur even at advanced ages, above 50 years of age.

Introducción: La disfonía impacta en la calidad de vida y en el mercado laboral, siendo un sínto-ma importante para el cribado de la neoplasia laríngea. Objetivo: Realizar una evaluación estadística de un grupo poblacional de la ciudad de Guarulhos que se queja de disfonía. Método: Se trata de un estudio transversal que utiliza una muestra correspondiente a 2564 exámenes, videolaringoscópicos o nasofibrolaringoscópicos, de pacientes mayores de 5 años, en el municipio de Guarulhos de la región metropolitana de São Paulo, realizados por el mismo otorrinolaringólogo y el mismo logopeda, entre abril de 2011 y abril de 2012. Los cambios en el diagnóstico de voz se evaluaron teniendo en cuenta la edad y el sexo de las personas. Los sexos de las personas se describieron de acuerdo con los diagnósticos utilizando frecuencias absolutas y relativas, y la existencia de una asociación entre el sexo y el diagnóstico se verificó mediante el uso de pruebas de razón de probabilidad (Kirkwood y Sterne, 2006). Las edades se describieron de acuerdo con los diagnósticos utilizando mediciones resumidas (media, desviación estándar, mediana, mínima y máxima), y se compararon las edades entre los diagnósticos, utilizando el análisis de varianza (ANOVA) seguido de comparaciones múltiples de Tukey (Neter et al., 1996). Las pruebas se realizaron con un nivel de significancia del 5%. Resultados: Hay una mayor frecuencia de hombres diagnosticados con neoplasias o cáncer que en otros diagnósticos. De las 2.564 pruebas, 477 presentaban laringitis crónica, el 69% en mujeres; 279 disfonía funcional, el 63,4% mujeres; 137 alteraciones estructurales mínimas (AEM), el 69,3% mujeres; 36 disfunciones neurológicas, estando divididas por igual entre géneros; y 12 presentaban neoplasias, el 83,3% en varones. Conclusión: Hubo un mayor número de alteraciones benignas en el género femenino. Las neoplasias y las disfunciones neurológicas predominaron en los varones. La disfonía funcional y la AEM ocurren en pacientes menores de 40 años de edad, mientras que las otras ocurren incluso a edades avanzadas, por encima de los 50 años de edad.

Predictive model for difficult laryngoscopy using machine learning: retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background Both predictions and predictors of difficult laryngoscopy are controversial. Machine learning is an excellent alternative method for predicting difficult laryngoscopy. This study aimed to develop and validate practical predictive models for difficult laryngoscopy through machine learning. Methods Variables for the prediction of difficult laryngoscopy included age, Mallampati grade, body mass index, sternomental distance, and neck circumference. Difficult laryngoscopy was defined as grade 3 and 4 by the Cormack-Lehane classification. Pre-anesthesia and anesthesia data of 616 patients who had undergone anesthesia at a single center were included. The dataset was divided into a base training set (n = 492) and a base test set (n = 124), with equal distribution of difficult laryngoscopy. Training data sets were trained with six algorithms (multilayer perceptron, logistic regression, supportive vector machine, random forest, extreme gradient boosting, and light gradient boosting machine), and cross-validated. The model with the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was chosen as the final model, which was validated with the test set. Results The results of cross-validation were best using the light gradient boosting machine algorithm with Mallampati score x age and sternomental distance as predictive model parameters. The predicted AUROC for the difficult laryngoscopy class was 0.71 (95% confidence interval, 0.59-0.83; p= 0.014), and the recall (sensitivity) was 0.85. Conclusion Predicting difficult laryngoscopy is possible with three parameters. Severe damage resulting from failure to predict difficult laryngoscopy with high recall is small with the reported model. The model's performance can be further enhanced by additional data training.

Manejo de vía aérea difícil en intubación de emergencia, revisión sistemática y metaanálisis / Difficult airway management in emergency intubation, systematic review and meta-analysis

Introducción: la vía aérea difícil es aquella situación clínica en la cual un anestesiólogo entrenado convencionalmente experimenta dificultad en la aplicación de ventilación con mascarilla facial, en la intubación endotraqueal o ambas, es de vital importancia su identificación, puesto que su manejo adecuado marcará la diferencia en el desenlace de los pacientes que requieren intubación, en especial los recibidos en urgencias. Objetivo: revisar de manera sistemática el estado actual del conocimiento y evidencia clínica relacionada al manejo de la vía aérea difícil en in- tubación de emergencia. Material y métodos: se realizó una revisión sistemática en PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCO y OVID; se emplearon los términos manejo de vía aérea difícil e intubación de emergencia. Resul- tados: la búsqueda arrojó 356 resultados, se excluyeron los estudios de revisión sistemática, metaanálisis, artículos basados en opiniones, infor- mes de casos, cartas al editor; 128 artículos fueron analizados; además, se buscó analizar artículos de distinta área de la investigación médica; se seleccionaron 21 artículos para ser analizados en esta revisión sistemática. Conclusiones: inesperadamente los artículos revisados concluyen, en su gran mayoría, que independientemente del protocolo de intubación, el aspecto que juega un rol determinante en el manejo de la vía aérea difícil es la experiencia y preparación previa del médico anestesiólogo (AU)

Introduction: difficult airway is that clinical situation in which a conventionally trained anesthesiologist experiences difficulty in ventilation with a face mask, in endotracheal intubation or both. In this review article we will focus on emergency intubation. Objective: to systematically review the current state of knowledge and clinical evidence related to the management of difficult airways in emergency intubation. Material and methods: a systematic review was carried out in PubMed, Cochrane data base, EBSCO and OVID; the terms: difficult airway management and emergency intubation; only clinical trials and scientific research reports were analyzed. Results: the search yielded 356 results, of which systematic review studies, meta-analysis, opinion-based articles, case reports, letters to the editor were excluded; which gave us 128 articles, after they were analyzed; it was also sought to analyze articles from different areas of medical research; 21 articles were selected to be analyzed in this systematic review. Conclusions: unexpectedly, the majority of the reviewed articles conclude that regardless of the intubation protocol or the tools used, the aspect that plays a decisive role in the management of the difficult airway is the experience and previous preparation of the anesthesiologist (AU))