Combining the EndoFlex tube with fiberoptic bronchoscopy in difficult intubation.

Abstract

We applied a combination technique using the EndoFlex tube with fiberoptic bronchoscopy for a 69-year-old man presenting with limited mouth opening and neck movement. Awake nasotracheal intubation was performed under conscious sedation with propofol and fentanyl. After positioning the tip of the EndoFlex tube in the oropharynx, the fiberoptic bronchoscope was inserted into the tube until the tip reached the bevel of the tube. Anterior flexion of the distal tip of the EndoFlex tube facilitated uncomplicated insertion of the tube into the trachea without impingement on the arytenoids. Fiberoptic visualization confirmed that the distal-tip flexing mechanism of the EndoFlex tube corrected the direction of the tube tip anteriorly, allowing entry into the trachea. We present a case where this technique proved valuable for tracheal intubation in a patient with limitations of mouth opening and neck movement.