A woman collapses with abdominal pain in a restaurant & then the initial evaluation in the ED she is diagnosed with suspected ruptured ectopic pregnancy. She is brought straight into your theatre and you perform a rapid sequence induction. You place your video laryngoscope into her mouth and all you see is vomitus and fluid, your yankauer sucker is blocked with food and doing nothing............

Hi everyone,

This week I am joined by Dr Nathan Blakely one of our enthusiastic trainees to discuss an area he has taken a personal interest in ---- the management of the soiled airway.

Thanks Nathan!

Blood in Airway:

Useful Links / References

https://youtu.be/Jaq-vHbcGi0

https://youtu.be/oMXkGgoRMpE

Cook T, Woodall N, Frerk C, Project FNA. Major complications of airway management in the UK: results of the Fourth National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Difficult Airway Society. Part 1: anaesthesia. British journal of anaesthesia. 2011;106(5):617-31.

Kei J, Mebust DP. Comparing the effectiveness of a novel suction set-up using an adult endotracheal tube connected to a meconium aspirator vs. a traditional Yankauer suction instrument. The Journal of emergency medicine. 2017;52(4):433-7.

Andreae M, Cox R, Shy B, Wong N, Strayer R. 319 Yankauer outperformed by alternative suction devices in evacuation of simulated emesis. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2016;68(4):S123.

Cox R, Andreae M, Shy B, DuCanto J, Strayer R. Yankauer suction catheters with “safety” vent holes may impair safety in emergent airway management. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2017;35(11):1762-3.

Nikolla DA, King B, Heslin A, Carlson JN. Comparison of Suction Rates Between a Standard Yankauer, a Commercial Large-Bore Suction Device, and a Makeshift Large-Bore Suction Device. The Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2021;61(3):265-70.

Weingart SD, Bhagwan SD. A novel set-up to allow suctioning during direct endotracheal and fiberoptic intubation. Journal of clinical anesthesia. 2011;23(6):518-9.

Han S, Fisher JA. Airway Management During Persistent Flooding Of the Oropharyngeal Airway.

DuCanto J, Serrano KD, Thompson RJ. Novel airway training tool that simulates vomiting: suction-assisted laryngoscopy assisted decontamination (SALAD) system. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2017;18(1):117.

Root CW, Mitchell OJ, Brown R, Evers CB, Boyle J, Griffin C, et al. Suction Assisted Laryngoscopy and Airway Decontamination (SALAD): A technique for improved emergency airway management. Resuscitation Plus. 2020;1:100005.

Chrimes N. The Vortex: a universal ‘high-acuity implementation tool'for emergency airway management. BJA: British Journal of Anaesthesia. 2016;117(suppl_1):i20-i7.

Finke S-R, Schroeder DC, Ecker H, Böttiger BW, Herff H, Wetsch WA. Comparing suction rates of novel DuCanto catheter against Yankauer and standard suction catheter using liquids of different viscosity—a technical simulation. BMC anesthesiology. 2022;22(1):285.