To be effective, cricoid pressure must be applied using the correct force, at the correct spot, using the correct angle. It therefore, requires good communication between intubator and the applier. Article discusses technique. #FOAMED Read More …
Failure of the anesthesia circuit, with inability to ventilate, is one of the most frightening anesthetic emergencies. You must act quickly to keep your patient safe and troubleshoot causes of the anesthesia circuit failure. One essential diagnostic and management tool in this emergency is your manual ventilation bag. Case: The Read More …
Nasotracheal intubation can cause nosebleeds. One way to minimize trauma to the nasal turbinates is to shield the tip of the endotracheal tube inside a Red Rubber Robinson catheter. Article discusses technique and alternatives. #FOAMED Read More …
Article discusses reducing complication risk for scheduling elective pediatric cases at surgery ccenters to avoid delay during COVID pandemic restrictions. Read More …
Anesthesia providers frequently prepare for difficult intubation, but may take extubation for granted. The anesthesia provider should treat extubation with the same degree of caution as intubation. Article discusses extubation criteria, technique, and precautions. Read More …
Tracheal rupture is a rare intubation injury associated with stylet trauma & over-inflation. This article discusses predispositions and prevention. Read More …
Going through your anesthesia checklist before starting a case isn’t exciting. However the anesthesia checklist can potentially save your patient’s life by allowing you to find risks and correct them before they cause harm. I found early in my career that if I skip this step, unwelcome surprises can occur. Read More …
Deep extubation has advantages for the patient but must be done carefully to avoid laryngospasm and aspiration. This article discusses the pros, cons and technique. Read More …
Drug shortages force us to use clinical calculations to mix what we need with ingredients on hand. Clinical Calculations: Epinephrine & Local Anesthetics. Article shows how to understand drug concentrations for epinephrine and local anesthetics as well as how to perform the calculation to epinephrine and local anesthesia into different concentrations Read More …
I was fortunate to recently complete my first and second COVID-19 vaccinations. No, that’s not the real Dr Fauci, my hero, celebrating my second shot me—just a cardboard cut-out. But my hero Dr. Fauci was surely there in spirit. The start of 2021 finds us still in the midst of Read More …
I’m concerned to see a growing lack of common sense in the care of elective surgical patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This lack of common sense in the time of COVID endangers the healthcare providers caring for patients. It can also put patients at risk. I remind my OR nurses Read More …
Airway injuries can kill or disable your patient. In this article, I discuss some airway complications that I, and my colleagues, experienced that were far more serious than cut lips and chipped teeth.By raising your awareness of risk, you better protect your patients from harm. Read More …
P/F ratio and associated respiratory physiology explained in easy terms. How to use P/F to estimate the severity of hypoxemia and trend progression of respiratory failure in COVID-19/ARDS — even if formal blood gas determination is not readily available. #FOAMED Read More …
The ebook version of “Anyone Can Intubate: A Step By Step Guide to Intubation and Airway Management” is now available at cost on the Amazon.com platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More …
Dr. Whitten’s articles are trending #1 and #3 on Anesthesiology News this month. Quick links to “10 Rules for Approaching Difficult Intubation” (http://bit.ly/2vpRwvp) and “10 Common Pediatric Airway Problems” (http://bit.ly/38JFbAC) are provided. Read More …
The practice of anesthesia requires development of good decision-making processes, in addition to remembering knowledge and learning skills. This article explores the decision process that was used for a case of securing the airway in a young child with a large airway abscess. Read More …
Intubating an infant or young child with a GlideScope requires age specific blades and modified technique because the anatomy of infants and toddlers differs from adults. This article discusses the modification of technique to improve successful pediatric intubation with the GlideScope. Read More …
How to open the airway is an essential skill that every health provider should know. Of all the airway skills, it’s the easiest to master and the most likely to save lives in respiratory distress and failure. This article details recognizing airway obstruction, techniques to open the airway, and insertion of Read More …
To learn intubation in addition to learning the physical steps, you need to understand why you’re doing those steps. This article will explain how to perform the steps of intubation, as well as the rationale behind them. Links to other articles on intubation technique appear both in the body of the text as well as repeated as a list at the end. Read More …
Failure to see the cords on first pass intubation occurs about 10% of the time. This article describes the thought process behind the next steps for approaching the next intubation attempts. Read More …