1 1 6
O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4
T
he 3 Golden Rules of difficult airways: 1. Prepare as if
every airway could be difficult. 2. Know that a thorough
airway assessment can predict a potentially difficult air-
way. 3. Have a go-to plan and a couple of backup plans to
manage difficult airways.
"Some airway difficulties can be anticipated and some can not," says
Mike Morel, CRNA, of Martin (Tenn.) Anesthesia Group. "Always have
Plans B and C ready."
That means keeping your airway cart well-stocked with rescue
tools. "Have multiple back-up options immediately available, so if one
thing doesn't work there is another quickly available," says Jeff
Cryder, CRNA, of Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas. It's a good
idea to laminate and tether to the cart the ASA's Difficult Airway
Algorithm (
tinyurl.com/lwhjddp
) and a list of the cart's contents.
At the UAB Callahan Eye Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., the airway
cart holds a long list of difficult airway equipment, including a variety
of LMAs, laryngoscope blades, fiber-optic scopes, a bougie for endotra-
cheal intubation, video-assisted laryngoscopes and Ambu bags with a
well-fitting mask and PEEP (positive end expiratory pressure) valves,
says chief CRNA Carol Craig.
At the ProMedica Wildwood Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital in
Toledo, Ohio, the airway cart has supplies such as a handheld
portable video laryngoscope, fiber-optic scope, a video laryngoscope
and all necessary supplies available in the sterile core as well as rou-
tine airway supplies located in each OR, says Kendra Ondrus, CRNA,
MA.
It's not enough to simply have the rescue tools on hand. Have
trained personnel who know how to use this equipment — experi-
enced CRNAs and anesthesiologists who can recognize the early signs
of an emergency and have the available tools to handle the situation,
A N E S T H E S I A
KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America, Inc., 2151 E. Grand Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245, USA, Phone: (424) 218-8100, Fax: (800) 321-1304, E-Mail: info@karlstorz.com
KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG, Mittelstraße 8, D-78532 Tuttlingen/Germany, Phone: + 49 7461 / 70 80, Fax: 07461 / 70 81 05, E-Mail: karlstorz-marketing@karlstorz.de
KARL STORZ Endoscopy Canada, Ltd., 2345 Argentia Road, Suite 100, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5N 8K4, Phone: (800) 268-4880, Fax: (905) 858-0933
KARL STORZ Endoscopia, Latino-America, 815 NW 57 Ave, Suite #480, Miami, Florida 33126-2042, USA, Telefono: (305) 262-8980, Telefax: (305) 262-8986
www.karlstorz.com
A-1213008 © 2014 KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America, Inc.
Miller Blades
C-MAC
®
Pocket Monitor
C-MAC
®
S
C-MAC
®
Five Scopes –
Flexible Intubation Video Endoscopes
OSE_1402_part2_Layout 1 2/6/14 2:59 PM Page 114
