Direct laryngoscopy and videolaryngoscopy are currently the dominant tools for endotracheal intubation. However, the video-assisted intubating stylet, a type of videolaryngoscopy, has been shown to offer some advantages over these tools, such as rapid intubation time, high first-attempt success rates, less airway stimulation, and high subjective satisfaction. On the other hand, this optical intubating technique also has some technical limitations that need to be addressed, including camera lens fogging, airway path disorientation, and obscured visibility due to secretions. In this clinical report, we describe an approach that improves the visibility of the glottis by introducing a suctioning catheter into the nasopharyngeal airway to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of using the intubating stylet technique for tracheal intubation.
The Airway Scope (AWS) provides better glottic view than the conventional direct laryngoscopy in tracheal intubation. With it, the endotracheal tube can be more easily inserted into the tracheal lumen easily. We hereby presented a 24-year-old ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patient wearing a halo vest who was successfully intubated for undergoing cervical spine surgery involving C1 and C2 under general anesthesia. Pre-operative airway assessment revealed that he was a case of difficult intubation. An AWS was used for oral tracheal intubation which was achieved smoothly in the first attempt. AWS can be an alternative device for airway management in a patient wearing halo vest.
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