Endotracheal intubation - A life saving procedure, still potential hazardous to upper airway: A case report.

Abstract

Endotracheal intubation plays a key role in the management of upper airway obstruction in emergency situations. It is non-invasive and easily learned technique by medical professionals as compared to other more skilled, surgical procedures, e.g., tracheostomy and cricothyrotomies etc. But prolonged intubation may result in numerous complications, most notorious being tracheoesophageal fistula and narrowing of subglottic area. We report a profile of a patient who had been diagnosed as case of Guillian-Barre Syndrome, had difficulty in breathing due to paralysis of respiratory muscles. The patient was admitted in Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) for 40 days and was kept on artificial breathing through endotracheal intubation, which remained in place for 19 days. Later tracheostomy was performed. Patient ultimately developed severe subglottic stenosis and became dependent on tracheostomy tube.

• Authors: Mahrukh Afreen, Murtaza Ahsan Ansari
• Journal: JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association (J Pak Med Assoc) Vol. 65 Issue 12 Pg. 1366-8 (Dec 2015) ISSN: 0030-9982 [Print] Pakistan
• PMID: 26627529 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Guillain-Barre Syndrome (complications)
• Humans
• Intubation, Intratracheal (adverse effects)
• Laryngostenosis (diagnosis, etiology, therapy)
• Male
• Postoperative Complications (diagnosis, etiology, therapy)
• Respiratory Insufficiency (etiology, therapy)
• Tracheostomy (adverse effects)