PMID: 16623407Apr 21, 2006Paper

Severe bronchospasm during laryngeal mask airway placement in an infant

Acta Anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : Official Journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists
Tung-Ying TsaiYu-Chuan Tsai

Abstract

A 35-day-old male infant was scheduled for bilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy. No history of recent upper airway infection or other reactive respiratory disease was noted before anesthesia. Breath holding was noted immediately after laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion. Removal of the LMA and positive pressure ventilation via face mask did not solve the problem. On suspicion of laryngospasm, tracheal intubation facilitated by muscule relaxant was performed. However, when the patient was ventilated, high airway pressure, absence of chest wall movement and elevated end-tidal CO2 were noted. Despite visual confirmation of correct placement of tracheal tube, oxygen desaturation and bradycardia developed rapidly. After deepening the inhalational anesthesia of sevoflurane and concomitant administration of intravenous lidocaine, the patient's respiratory condition turned for the better and became compliable. Respiratory dysfunction may be caused by severe bronchospasm induced by placement of the LMA. The pathophysiology and risk factors of bronchospasm related to the LMA placement are discussed in the text.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Bradyarrhythmias

Bradyarrhythmias are slow heart rates. Symptoms may include syncope, dizziness, fatigure, shortness of breath, and chest pains. Find the latest research on bradyarrhythmias here.