Local Anesthesia of the Airway
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Procedures on the upper airway in an awake patient are challenging because of local factors such as excessive salivation, presence of gag reflex, and activation of cough reflex, as well as because of the systemic hemodynamic response caused by the stimulation of autonomic nervous system.
Anesthesia of the airway is needed for attempts to access a difficult airway or for procedures performed through the airway in awake patients. In patients with recognized difficult airway, intubation under general anesthesia might lead to the risk of loss of control on the airway. Elective awake intubation is a safer option in these patients and is facilitated by abolishing airway reflexes by local anesthetic techniques. Local anesthesia of the airway is complicated due to the multiple nerves that are to be blocked. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy is essential for a successful procedure.
These blocks are mainly performed to abolish reflexes and provide patient comfort during manipulation and instrumentation of the airways in an awake patient during the following:
Direct laryngoscopy
Bronchoscopy
Nasal intubation
Fiber optic intubation [1]
Some procedures on the head and neck
Most of these procedures are frequently done in patients with compromised airway before establishing endotracheal intubation for the induction and maintenance of anesthesia.
Patient refusal is an absolute contraindication.
A patient on anticoagulation is a relative contraindication, as is distorted anatomy that interferes with the proper identification of structures to perform the block due to the following:
Tumors
Surgical deformities or reconstruction
If the structures are identified properly and knowledge of the anatomy is good, these blocks can be performed easily and with a high rate of success with the least amount of complications.
Kundra P, Kutralam S, Ravishankar M. Local anaesthesia for awake fibreoptic nasotracheal intubation. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2000 May. 44(5):511-6. [Medline].
Ramkumar V. Preparation of the patient and the airway for awake intubation. Indian J Anaesth. 2011 Sep. 55(5):442-7. [Medline].
Parkes SB, Butler CS, Muller R. Plasma lignocaine concentration following nebulization for awake intubation. Anaesth Intensive Care. 1997 Aug. 25(4):369-71. [Medline].
Curran J, Hamilton C, Taylor T. Topical analgesia before tracheal intubation. Anaesthesia. 1975 Nov. 30(6):765-8. [Medline].
Anusha Cherian, MBBS, MD, DNB Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, India
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
Nanda Kishore Maroju, MRCS, MS, MBBS, DNB Additional Professor of Surgery, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India
Nanda Kishore Maroju, MRCS, MS, MBBS, DNB is a member of the following medical societies: Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference
Disclosure: Received salary from Medscape for employment. for: Medscape.
Meda Raghavendra (Raghu), MD Associate Professor, Interventional Pain Management, Department of Anesthesiology, Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center
Meda Raghavendra (Raghu), MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
Local Anesthesia of the Airway
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