So all the times that you practiced your craft (handling a fiberoptic scope such as during the difficult airway class weaving down the bucket with little holes; placing double lumen tubes),
all the times you’ve asked experienced providers what they did (for an awake fiberoptic intubation),
all the times you watched one (once for an awake fiberoptic oral intubation),
all the times that you performed one (under optimal conditions with a Glidescope and an asleep patient),
and all the times that you did something similar (nasal intubations),
it prepares you for this moment — for this call:
“There’s an emergency intubation for you and it must be done as an awake fiberoptic intubation nasally.”
You call your partner who’s already bedside and workout a plan
He’s optimizing the patient – Afrin drops, nasal trumpets, racemic epi nebulizer, and 4% lidocaine nebulizer
You’re ready – 7.0 oral ETT in warm saline, lubricated tube and fiberoptic scope, ketamine, precedex drip, an ENT surgeon and team for possible trach
The patient arrives, looking more perky, sats 96%, sitting up, switch monitors, fluids, ETT on the tip of the fiberoptic, suction on, sedation is in
Standing in front of the patient on the right side with the camera on the left
ETT inserted 1/3 in, cameras in, orientation, following the bubbles, past the epiglottis, vocal cords, tracheal rings
Holding still, inserting the rest of the ETT, cuff up, fiberoptic scope out, circuit on, positive end tidal CO2, sats 99%
Smooth, successÂ