Intubation difficulties in practice of an anesthesiologist-resuscitator (review article)

Abstract

Difficult airways have been one of the most serious problems in anesthesia since its inception. Disability and mortality of patients due to the inability to maintain airway patency remains a serious problem in anesthesiology and resuscitation although they have significantly decreased in recent years. Clinical cases of unsuccessful or difficult intubations are always a direct threat to the patient’s life both in emergency situations and during planned surgical intervention. The purpose of the research: to consider the main components of airway management in critically ill patients, as well as more subtle details of physiologically complex airways. Materials of the research: foreign and Russian literary sources on the problem. To assess the difficulty of intubation, the prediction on the LEMON scale was used. Conclusion. Difficult intubation in emergency conditions should be based on a strict algorithm of actions that helps anesthesiologists and resuscitators to prevent gross mistakes and unsuccessful manipulations in conditions of increasing patient’s hypoxia. Awareness of this issue and the research of ways to resolve it are necessary for both young professionals and experienced doctors; that will reduce the risks of unsuccessful intubation with the development of difficulties and complications.