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  • Essay / Airway Management of the Facial Trauma Patient

    The mandible is the most common site of injury in children due to its a) location (the nasal bone and mandible are the most prominence of the face in children); b) suspended ratio of cranial volume to facial volume from 8:1 to 2.5:1; c) Direction of growth of the mandible i.e. downward and forward with age. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Airway management in facial trauma advocates the use of oroendotracheal intubation because it does not provide the flexibility to assess occlusion and maxillomandibular fixation which are essential for reduction and fixation of facial fractures. Thus, the classic practice was to use a tracheotomy or nasoendotracheal intubation to administer anesthesia. Although nasoendotracheal intubation is a preferred modality in adults, in pediatric facial fractures it increases the risk of bleeding due to enlarged adenoids. Techniques such as submental intubation and tracheotomy are also used, but complications related to these techniques can be avoided with retromolar intubation, especially in pediatric maxillofacial trauma patients. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the adequacy of retromolar space and effectiveness of retromolar intubation in pediatric mandibular fractures without compromising anesthetic and surgical requirements. The main requirement for successful placement of an endotracheal tube in the retromolar region is space adequacy. In this report, space adequacy was assessed by placing the nasopharyngeal airway in the retromolar region, which created a memory path for insertion of the endotracheal tube while the patient was unconscious, as described by LT Nguyen et al. With the absence of third molars in patients younger than 14 years, the availability of retromolar space adds another dimension to intubation technique. Patients intubated with the endotracheal tube in the retromolar space benefit from a reliable airway, greater visibility, and unobstructed surgical access to the nose and oral cavity. Intraoperative and postoperative complications are relatively low compared to other intubation techniques and, without compromising the patient's airway patency, make retromolar intubation a choice of intubation in pediatric patients. Extubation or accidental dislodgement could be a difficult and uncomfortable situation for the anesthesiologist and surgeon. In the present study, there were no episodes of accidental displacement of the ETT, as the ETT was easily and safely placed in the retromolar space, ultimately being positioned there using with a 3-0 silk suture. Retromolar intubation cannot be used in patients with syndromes such as Pierre Robin syndrome, Treacher Collin syndrome, achondroplasia and mandibular hypoplasia, mainly because there is a lack of cooperation in these patients for the procedure. Although more studies are needed in the future with every maxillofacial trauma patient as well as pediatric patients, this is a safer and non-invasive technique. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get Custom EssayIn conclusion, the retromolar region used for..