Large airway obstruction in children Reprinted with revisions from Update in Anaesthesia, (2004)18:44-49. Originally Royal College of Anaesthetists Newsletter 1999; Issue 47: 159-162, reused with permission. N S Morton Correspondence Email:
[email protected] PART 1: CAUSES AND ASSESSMENT The larynx is funnel shaped and is narrowest at the Opening and maintaining the airway is fundamental level of the cricoid ring compared with the cylindrical ommon emergencies to the treatment of all emergency situations in adult conformation, which is narrowest at the level of C paediatrics, as in adults. All resuscitation algorithms the vocal cords. The airway is more compressible as start with ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) and cartilage support components are less well developed. must be qualified in trauma to include cervical spine Thus, extrinsic pressure from haematomas, neoplasms, Summary control. The commonest cause of paediatric airway vessels or enlarged heart chambers may more readily obstruction is still the child with depressed conscious compress the airway. The collapse of the laryngeal There are anatomical, level who is not positioned properly or whose airway inlet during inspiration is a feature of laryngomalacia physiological and is not opened adequately by Basic Life Support and the collapse of the trachea and/or bronchi during developmental reasons for manoeuvres. Airway foreign bodies are also common expiration occurs in tracheo-bronchomalacia. If the children to be particularly and may need rapid intervention. The pattern of intrathoracic airways are narrowed from whatever susceptible to airway obstruction. infective causes of airway obstruction has changed cause, the extra work of inspiration and of expiration since the introduction of vaccination programmes leads to large swings in intrathoracic pressure and the Rapid clinical assessment, against Haemophilus influenzae type B.