Natural airway as an alternative to intubation for pediatric endoscopic esophageal foreign body removal: A retrospective cohort study of 326 patients.

BACKGROUND: Anesthesia is required for endoscopic removal of esophageal foreign bodies (EFBs) in children. Historically, endotracheal intubation has been the de facto gold standard for airway management in these cases. However, as more elective endoscopic procedures are now performed under propofol sedation with natural airway, there has been a move toward using similar Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) for select patients who require endoscopic removal of an EFB. METHODS: In this single-center retrospective cohort study, we compared endoscopic EFB removal with either MAC or endotracheal intubation. Descriptive statistics summarized factors stratified by initial choice of airway technique, including intra- and postanesthesia complications and the frequency of mid-procedure conversion to endotracheal intubation in those initially managed with MAC. To demonstrate the magnitude of associations between these factors and the anesthesiologist's choice of airway technique, univariable Firth logistic and quantile regressions were used to estimate odds ratios (95% CI) and beta coefficients (95% CI). RESULTS: From the initial search, 326 patients were identified. Among them, 23% (n = 75) were planned for intubation and 77% (n = 251) were planned for MAC. Three patients (0.9%) who were initially planned for MAC required conversion to endotracheal intubation after induction. Two (0.6%) of these children were admitted to the hospital after the procedure and treated for ongoing airway reactivity. No patient experienced reflux of gastric contents to the mouth or dislodgement of the foreign body to the airway, and no patient required administration of vasoactive medications or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Patients had higher odds that the anesthesiologist chose to utilize MAC if the foreign body was a coin (OR, 3.3; CI, 1.9-5.7, p < .001) or if their fasting time was >6 h. Median total operating time was 15 min greater in intubated patients (11 vs. 26 min, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that MAC may be considered for select pediatric patients undergoing endoscopic removal of EFB, especially those who have ingested coins, who do not have reactive airways, who have fasted for >6 h, and in whom the endoscopic procedure is expected to be short and uncomplicated. Prospective multi-site studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Pulling instead of pushing: A case report of gastrostomy-assisted pull technique as an alternative method for endoluminal sponge placement in EVAC therapy.

Endoscopic vacuum-assisted therapy offers an easier and safer alternative to thoracic surgery, self-expanding stents, or esophageal clips and has been shown to be a promising technique for management of pediatric esophageal perforations. In this report, we present a novel application of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy-assisted pull technique, wherein a preexisting gastrostomy is reaccessed to allow safe placement of the vacuum sponge with a more comfortable and effective endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure therapy compared to transnasal or transoral options. A 7-year-old male with a history of type C esophageal atresia with distal tracheoesophageal fistula complicated by leak and refractory esophageal stricture, severe tracheomalacia, and prior esophageal stricture resection presented for posterior tracheoplasty and tracheopexy complicated by esophageal perforation. A preexisting gastrostomy site was re-accessed to allow for a novel approach for endoluminal sponge placement in endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure (EVAC) therapy by gastrostomy-assisted pull technique. The patient had appropriate healing without further leak 1 month after repair. This case highlights the use of EVAC as a minimally invasive option for repair of esophageal perforation using a pull-through method at the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube site as gastric access. This method may improve control of placement and reduce sponge migration, reduce intraluminal distance of sponge placement, and reduce morbidity by avoiding thoracotomy.