Articles: intubation.
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Tracheal intubation may be hindered by difficulty in insertion of the laryngoscope blade into the patient's mouth because the handle impinges on the patient's chest or on the hand of an assistant applying cricoid pressure. An adaptor is described which modifies the standard Penlon laryngoscope to enable lateral swivelling of the handle, thus avoiding the obstruction.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of blind nasotracheal and succinylcholine-assisted intubation in the poisoned patient.
In the patient obtunded by drug intoxication, the optimal method of airway protection prior to gastric emptying is not clear. We report a prospective randomized trial of two methods of intubation in this patient population. Fifty-two overdose patients with Glascow Coma Scale scores of 12 or less were intubated either orotracheally after succinylcholine administration or nasotracheally. ⋯ Sixty-nine percent of the BNI group experienced epistaxis, 17% had vomiting, and 10% aspirated. We conclude that SAI is a safe and effective method of airway protection in the obtunded poisoned patient. Complications and difficulty in intubation were significantly less with SAI than with blind nasotracheal intubation.