A prospective, cohort evaluation of major and minor airway management complications during routine anaesthetic care at an academic medical centre.

The aim of this study was to develop an audit tool to identify prospectively all peri-operative adverse events during airway management in a cost-effective and reproducible way. All patients at VU University Medical Center who required general anaesthesia for elective and emergency surgical procedures were included during a period of 8 weeks. Daily questionnaires and interviews were taken from anaesthesia trainees and anaesthetic department staff members. A total of 2803 patients underwent general anaesthesia, 1384 men and 1419 women, including 2232 elective patients and 571 emergency procedures, 697 paediatric and 2106 adult surgical procedures. A total of 168 airway-related events were reported. The incidence of severe airway management-related events was 24/2803 (0.86%). There were 12 (0.42%) unanticipated ICU admissions, two patients (0.07%) required a surgical airway. There was one (0.04%) death, one cannot intubate cannot oxygenate (0.04%), one aspiration (0.04%) and eight (0.29%) severe desaturations < Sp O2 50%. We suggest that our method to determine and investigate airway management-related adverse events could be adopted by other hospitals.

Evaluation of a new double-lumen endobronchial tube with an integrated camera (VivaSight-DL(™) ): a prospective multicentre observational study.

The VivaSight-DL(™) is a new single-use double-lumen endobronchial tube with an integrated camera. We studied this device in 151 consecutive patients scheduled for elective thoracic surgery in four different hospitals. Endobronchial intubation was successful in 148 patients (98%) (95% CI 94-99%). Median (IQR [range]) endobronchial intubation time was 59 (47-82 [17-932]) s and lung isolation was successfully achieved in 147 (99%) patients (95% CI 96-99%). A fibreoptic bronchoscope was required to assist endobronchial tube placement in 19 (13%) patients (95% CI 8-19%). Sore throat was reported by 37 (25%) patients (95% CI 18-33%), but no major complications were observed. We have reported the successful use of the VivaSight double-lumen tube for endobronchial intubation in a multicentre observational trial.

Tracheal intubation with a camera embedded in the tube tip (Vivasight(™) ).

We studied tracheal intubation in manikins and patients with a camera embedded in the tip of the tracheal tube (Vivasight(™) ). Four people in two teams and two individuals attempted intubation of a manikin through an i-gel(™) 10 times each. The tracheas of 12 patients with a Mallampati grade of 1 were intubated with a Vivasight tracheal tube through a Berman airway, passed over a Frova(™) introducer. All 60 manikin intubations were successful, taking a mean (SD) time of 1.4 (0.5) s. The fastest intubation was performed in 0.5 s. All 12 participants' tracheas were successfully intubated in a median (IQR [range]) time of 90 (70-120 [50-210]) s. Seven participants complained of a sore throat, comparable with earlier findings for standard laryngoscopy and intubation: five mild; one moderate; and one severe. Tracheal intubation with the Vivasight through the i-gel or Berman airway is an alternative to existing techniques, against which it should be compared in randomised controlled trials in human participants. It has potential as a fast airway rescue technique.

Can sugammadex save a patient in a simulated 'cannot intubate, cannot ventilate' situation?

Recent studies have shown that the use of high dose rocuronium followed by sugammadex provides a faster time to recovery from neuromuscular blockade following rapid sequence induction than suxamethonium. In a manikin-based 'cannot intubate, cannot ventilate' simulation, we studied the total time taken for anaesthetic teams to prepare and administer sugammadex from the time of their initial decision to use the drug. The mean (SD) total time to administration of sugammadex was 6.7 (1.5) min, following which a further 2.2 min (giving a total 8.9 min) should be allowed to achieve a train-of-four ratio of 0.9. Four (22%) teams gave the correct dose, 10 (56%) teams gave a dose that was lower than recommended, four (22%) teams gave a dose that was higher than recommended, six (33%) teams administered sugammadex in a single dose, and 12 (67%) teams gave multiple doses. Our simulation highlights that sugammadex might not have saved this patient in a 'cannot intubate, cannot ventilate' situation, and that difficulties and delays were encountered when identifying, preparing and administering the correct drug dose.

Awake fibrecapnic intubation in head and neck cancer patients with difficult airways: new findings and refinements to the technique.

Recently, we described an adaptation of awake fibreoptic intubation that we call awake fibrecapnic intubation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and risk of complications with this novel technique in a consecutive case series of head and neck cancer patients known to have difficult airways. We prospectively studied 40 consecutive intubations in head and neck cancer patients prior to a diagnostic or surgical procedure. Following topical anaesthesia, a flexible bronchoscope was introduced into the pharynx; spontaneous respiration was maintained in all patients. A special suction catheter was advanced into the airway through the suction channel of the bronchoscope for carbon dioxide measurements. When four capnograms were obtained, the bronchoscope was railroaded over the catheter and a tracheal tube was placed. All adverse events and complications were recorded. There were no complications associated with the technique. The median (range) time to intubation was 3 min (1.5-15 min). All patients were intubated successfully, 39 (98%) of them using awake fibrecapnic intubation. There was one patient with severe tumour bleeding and acute airway obstruction caused by advancement of the tube over the bronchoscope. This was not considered to be a complication of the fibrecapnic technique. Awake fibrecapnic intubation is a safe and valuable technique in head and neck cancer patients with a difficult airway.

Awake fibrecapnic intubation: a novel technique for intubation in head and neck cancer patients with a difficult airway.

Awake fibreoptic intubation is the gold standard for difficult airway management but failures are reported in the literature in up to 13% of cases. In case of failure, a tracheotomy is often indicated. We describe a novel technique for intubation in head and neck cancer patients with a difficult airway that we call awake fibrecapnic intubation. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of this technique. We studied prospectively 15 consecutive intubations in head and neck cancer patients before diagnostic or therapeutic surgical procedures. After topical anaesthesia, a fibrescope was introduced into the pharynx. Spontaneous respiration was maintained in all patients. Through the suction channel of the fibrescope a special suction catheter was advanced into the airway for carbon dioxide measurements. When four capnograms were obtained, the fibrescope was railroaded over the catheter and after identification of tracheal rings, a tracheal tube was placed. Tracheal intubation was successful in all patients without bleeding or complications, with a median (range) time to intubation of 3 (2-15) min. Identification of the vocal cords and glottis was difficult in four patients due to extensive anatomical abnormalities or poor visibility; even in these patients, a capnogram was obtained within 4 s.

International adoptions by military families: a reexamination.

The adoption of foreign-born children by U.S. families is an increasingly common occurrence, having tripled in the past 15 years. The demographic features of international adoption have changed dramatically over the same time period. Today's foreign-born adoptees originate from a myriad of nations and cultures and present challenging medical and social problems to the practitioners faced with caring for these children and advising their adoptive families. Military families, cosmopolitan and often stationed overseas, adopt a large proportion of these children from foreign lands. Consequently, military health care providers require a familiarity with the special needs of international adoptees and the unique aspects of international adoption, as practiced by military families. We previously reported on this topic more than a decade ago. Much has changed since then, prompting this update.

Predictive value of planar 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose imaging for cardiac events in patients after acute myocardial infarction.

This long-term study examines the predictive value of planar myocardial 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging for cardiac events after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). From December 1989 to April 1991, 59 consecutive patients with AMI had undergone planar rest thallium-201 (Tl-201)/FDG imaging for viability assessment; 53 (42 men) were included in this study. Mean follow-up was 47 +/- 15 months. Cardiac events were defined as cardiac-related death, reinfarction, late revascularization, and unstable angina pectoris. A mismatch pattern was defined as a FDG uptake exceeding Tl-201 uptake by > or = 20%. A concordant reduction in flow and metabolism was defined as a match. In the mismatch group (n = 39) were 19 events versus 1 event in the match group (n = 14) (p <0.009). In the mismatch group were 5 cardiac deaths, 3 reinfarctions, 7 late revascularizations, and 4 patients had unstable angina pectoris. There was 1 cardiac death in the match group. The event-free rate estimated using Kaplan Meier curves for patients with and without a mismatch was significantly different (p = 0.018). The relative risk for patients with a mismatch for developing a future cardiac event was estimated at 7.8 versus patients with a match. Thus, planar myocardial FDG imaging shortly after AMI has important prognostic significance for prediction of future cardiac events. Patients with a mismatch shortly after AMI have a high risk for future cardiac events on medical therapy.

Prediction of improvement of contractile function in patients with ischemic ventricular dysfunction after revascularization by fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose single-photon emission computed tomography.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the use of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to predict improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after revascularization. BACKGROUND: FDG SPECT has recently been proposed for assessment of myocardial viability. However, FDG SPECT still awaits validation in terms of predicting improvement of contractile function after revascularization in patients with poor left ventricular (LV) function. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with contractile dysfunction (including 22 with LVEF < 30%) underwent FDG SPECT during hyperinsulinemic glucose clamping and early thallium-201 SPECT (to assess perfusion). Improvement of LV function was evaluated 3 months after revascularization with echocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography. RESULTS: The 55 patients were arbitrarily classified into two groups: 19 with three or more viable, dysfunctional segments on FDG SPECT and 36 with less than three viable, dysfunctional segments. LVEF increased significantly in the first group, from 28 +/- 8% (mean +/- SD) before to 35 +/- 9% (p < 0.01) after revascularization. In the second group, LVEF remained unchanged after revascularization (45 +/- 14% vs. 44 +/- 14%, p = NS). The 22 patients with severely depressed LV function were similarly classified into two groups: 14 with three or more viable segments on FDG SPECT in whom LVEF improved significantly (25 +/- 6% vs. 32 +/- 6%) and 8 with less than three viable segments in whom LVEF remained unchanged (24 +/- 6% vs. 25 +/- 6%). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that FDG SPECT can identify patients in whom LV function improves after revascularization. Because SPECT is widely available, this technique may contribute to more routine use of FDG for determination of viability.

F18-fluorodeoxyglucose single-photon emission computed tomography predicts functional outcome of dyssynergic myocardium after surgical revascularization.

BACKGROUND: Prediction of functional recovery after revascularization is possible with positron emission tomography and F18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Recently, the use of FDG in combination with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), with 511 keV collimators, has been proposed to allow more widespread use of FDG. In the current study we aimed to predict improvement of regional left ventricular function after surgical revascularization with FDG and SPECT. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients with regional wall motion abnormalities (on echocardiography) underwent early thallium-201 (Tl-201) SPECT to assess perfusion and FDG SPECT to assess regional glucose uptake. The left ventricular myocardium was divided into 13 segments. For each segment, tracer uptake was evaluated visually (with the use of a 4-point scoring system) by consensus of two observers. Myocardial viability was determined in dyssynergic segments on echocardiography and defined as normal perfusion or increased FDG uptake in a perfusion defect (mismatch). Absence of viability was defined as a perfusion defect without increased FDG uptake (match). Improvement of regional wall motion was assessed 3 months after revascularization. In the group of segments that were viable on FDG/Tl-201 SPECT (n = 64), the segmental wall motion score decreased from 1.4 +/- 0.5 to 0.6 +/- 0.7 (p < 0.01), whereas the segmental wall motion score remained unchanged in nonviable segments (n = 72): 1.6 +/- 0.5 versus 1.5 +/- 0.6 (not significant). Forty-six (72%) of the 64 segments that were viable on FDG/Tl-201 SPECT demonstrated improved contractile function after coronary revascularization. In contrast, only 7 (10%) of 72 nonviable segments on FDG/Tl-201 SPECT showed improvement in function after revascularization (p < 0.01 versus viable segments). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 87%, 78%, 72%, and 90%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study shows that FDG/Tl-201 SPECT can identify patients who improve in regional ventricular function after revascularization.

Cardiac 18F-FDG-SPET studies in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus during hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamping.

Identification of viable myocardium is possible with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and positron emission tomography (PET). More recently, the feasibility of cardiac FDG imaging with single photon emission tomography (SPET) has been reported. In patients with diabetes mellitus, poor image quality is frequently obtained with FDG-PET, due to relative or absolute insulin deficiency and peripheral insulin resistance. To improve image quality of the FDG-PET studies, the hyperinsulinaemic glucose clamp has been proposed. We assessed the image quality of cardiac FDG-SPET studies in 10 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and compared the results with those obtained in 10 patients without NIDDM. All FDG studies were performed during hyperinsulinaemic glucose clamping. Image quality was expressed as myocardial to blood pool activity (M/B) ratios. Residual viability was assessed in dysfunctional myocardium. The M/B ratios were comparable between patients with and without NIDDM (2.67 +/- 0.8 vs 2.50 +/- 0.7, N.S.). Residual viability was detected in 51% of the dysfunctional segments of the patients with NIDDM and in 49% of the segments of the patients without NIDDM. In the small subset of patients (n = 10) undergoing revascularization, 19 of 20 (95%) segments that had improved wall motion were viable on FDG-SPET. In contrast, 27 of 36 (75%) segments that did not improve were necrotic on FDG-SPET. Thus FDG-SPET during hyperinsulinaemic glucose clamping provides adequate image quality in patients with NIDDM compared with patients without NIDDM, and can be used in the detection of viable myocardium.