De. Tunkel et Qa. Fisher, PEDIATRIC FLEXIBLE FIBEROPTIC BRONCHOSCOPY THROUGH THE LARYNGEAL MASKAIRWAY, Archives of otolaryngology, head & neck surgery, 122(12), 1996, pp. 1364-1367
Objective: To determine the usefulness and safety of the laryngeal mas
k airway (LMA) as an adjunct to pediatric flexible fiberoptic bronchos
copy (FOB). Design: A case-series retrospective study. Setting: Pediat
ric otolaryngology tertiary referral center, outpatient and inpatient
operating suites. Patients: Retrospective review of charts of children
who had FOB performed with the use of LMA by the pediatric otolaryngo
logy service. The patients were ages 3 months to 18 years with respira
tory symptoms requiring FOB for diagnosis.Interventions: Use of LMA to
support airway during FOB with spontaneous ventilation with the patie
nts under general anesthesia. Main Outcome Measures. Ability to perfor
m airway evaluation with FOB and LMA; number and type of complications
. Results: Seventeen patients, ages 3 months to 18 years (median age,
39 months) underwent FOB with use of LMA. In 2 patients use of LMA fai
led-1 from airway obstruction with LMA in place, which required intuba
tion, and another who could not have LMA appropriately placed. Fifteen
patients underwent uncomplicated FOB through the LIVIA. None of these
15 patients required unplanned endotracheal intubation. Two patients
with mandibular hypoplasia required LMA use for airway evaluation when
the glottis could not be visualized at direct laryngoscopy. Conclusio
ns: The LMA is a safe and effective adjunct to pediatric FOB. Laryngea
l mask airway use for FOB allows evaluation of the airway during spont
aneous ventilation without an endotracheal tube or a face mask. Larger
fiberoptic scopes fan be used through the LMA compared with pediatric
FOB performed through the nose or through an endotracheal tube.