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Palatopharyngeal wall Perforation during Glidescope® Intubation

2008; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 36; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1177/0310057x0803600620

1448-0271

Wai Yie Leong, Y. Lim, A. T. H. Sla,

Trauma Management and Diagnosis

We report a case of palatopharyngeal wall perforation during intubation with a GlideScope® laryngoscope. The likely mechanism was advancing and rotating the endotracheal tube against a taut palatopharyngeal fold. This was missed during the initial laryngoscopy, because there is a potential blind-spot in the oropharynx when attention is focused on the GlideScope® monitor. Fortunately, there were no sequelae other than minor bleeding and a mild sore throat and no surgical intervention was necessary. The use of unnecessary force during the endotracheal tube insertion, the use of too large a laryngoscope blade and the use of a rigid stylet could possibly also have been contributory factors to this complication.