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Intubation With A Curved Blade
Direct laryngoscopy depends on being able to bring the 3 axes of the airway into alignment to see the larynx. Straight and curved blades use different techniques for bringing the larynx into view....
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Ventilation Perfusion Mismatch
Alveolar gas exchange depends not only on ventilation of the alveoli but also on circulation of blood through the alveolar capillaries. This makes sense. You need both oxygen in the alveoli, and...
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Difference in Ventilating With a Self-Inflating Ventilation Bag vs. a Free...
Ventilating with a bag-valve-mask device requires a good mask seal against the face in order to generate the pressure to inflate the lungs. But it also requires knowledge of how to effectively use the...
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Safe Medication Administration For Our Smallest Patients
Pediatric medication errors are distressingly common. This article discusses various ways to reduce the risk of administering an incorrect medication dose to a child. Continue reading → Continue...
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A Flood of Blood in the Airway
During intubation, any liquid in the mouth that obscures the view of larynx not only hinders visualization, it risks aspiration. We're used to being able to rapidly suction the mouth clear or...
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Hair Style Can Impact Intubation
Last weekend I spent time with the charity group Healing Little Heroes at the San Diego Rady’s Children’s Hospital, and Ronald McDonald House. The mission of Healing Little Heroes Foundation is to help...
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MacGyvering In Anesthesia
I used to love the old TV show MacGyver, which featured an inventive hero who frequently had to improvise some clever device from ordinary objects in order to beat insurmountable odds and save the day....
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Finding PEEP In a Bottle (of Water): Thinking Outside The Box
As you read this I am flying to Honduras with International Relief Team on a head and neck surgery medical mission. I will attempt to post mission updates from the hospital compound, pending internet...
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Close Call In Honduras With A Nosebleed
During a recent volunteer medical mission to Honduras, we had a close call with a blood clot in the airway following nasal surgery. This article discusses that event. Continue reading → Continue...
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In Airway Emergencies Always Start With The Basics of Airway Management
A case of "can't intubate- can't ventilate is discussed which illustrates the importance of always using good techniques of basic airway management. Continue reading → Continue Reading → The post In...
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Respiratory Depression In A Child: A Case Demonstrating Excellent...
When I’m teaching airway management to my Perioperative/OR nurses, I often recount the story of management of a young child's postoperative respiratory depression. In addition to illustrating the...
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Exhaling During Manual Ventilation Is As Important As Inhaling
One of my readers recently asked a very important question about ventilating a patient with a bag-valve-mask device: “Is there an outlet for the expired air of the patient?” The answer is yes. When...
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Remember That Respiratory Failure Is Not Always Due to Lung Failure
While assisting ventilation and protecting the airway are first priorities to stabilize a patient, treating the cause of the respiratory failure may require more than just ventilation and/or...
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Not All Airway Emergencies Need Intubation
An emergency department physician I met the other day shared with me an experience from her hospital that offers a good example of the fact that there are many different ways of managing an airway...
View ArticleWhen Learning Intubation Is Hard
Learning to intubate is easier for some people than for others. Sometimes, no matter how knowledgeable you are about the theory of the technique, the novice can still struggle to bring it all together...
View ArticleIntubation During Cardiac Resuscitation
Intubating patients during cardiac resuscitation is often challenging because of the circumstances surrounding the intubation. Excitement and apprehension accompany this life saving effort. In...
View ArticleNITROUS OXIDE: SHOULD WE USE IT?
When I was training, we used nitrous oxide on just about every anesthetic. It was easy to use. It was inexpensive. It didn't tend to effect hemodynamics so it was useful in less stable patients when...
View ArticleAnnouncing My New Book: Pediatric Airway Management: A Step-by-Step Guide
At long last, after two years of writing (and rewriting), illustrating, and filming on-line videos, I'm excited to announce the publication of my new book Pediatric Airway Management: A Step-by-Step...
View ArticleDifficult Intubation In A Newborn
The unanticipated difficult neonatal intubation in L&D greatly complicates neonatal resuscitation. This discussion highlights the approach to difficult ventilation & intubation in the newborn....
View ArticleGlideScope Technique For Intubation In Small Mouths
The GlideScope can be difficult to use in a patient with a small, narrow mouth. This article discusses a technique for improving successful intubation in that type of patient. Continue reading → The...
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