Efficacy of high-flow nasal cannula in improving the view of the glottis during flexible bronchoscopy for tracheal intubation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Flexible bronchoscopy for tracheal intubation is indicated in patients with difficult airways, but the upper airway is frequently obstructed in sedated or anaesthetised apnoeic patients. This makes it more difficult to locate the glottis through bronchoscopy, and increases the risk of hypoxaemia. Nasal high-flow oxygenation is useful to prevent hypoxaemia during airway management, but no studies have assessed if this method of oxygenation improves the bronchoscopic view of the glottis by preventing upper airway obstruction.

Methods

As a crossover design, we studied 20 anaesthetised apnoeic patients to assess if nasal high-flow oxygenation (60 L min^-1) improves the view of the glottis during attempts at bronchoscopic intubation by widening the pharyngeal

SUBMITTER: Osawa R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12597328 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature