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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation
Published on: January 17, 2011
The role of fibreoptic laryngoscopy in infants with stridor
1Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow, UK. mlarisma@yahoo.co.uk
Insights
Flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy under local anesthesia is a safe and effective method for diagnosing infant stridor. This approach aids surgeons in planning interventions by excluding other causes of stridor.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Pulmonology
Background:
- Infant stridor necessitates investigation due to potential seriousness.
- Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of congenital stridor, typically self-limiting.
- Excluding other stridor causes is crucial for surgical planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy under local anesthesia for evaluating inspiratory stridor in infants.
- To assess the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of this diagnostic method.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 43 infants with inspiratory stridor undergoing flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy.
- Procedure performed in a day surgery unit on non-fasting, non-sedated children under local anesthesia.
- Evaluation of diagnoses, complications, and need for further intervention.
Main Results:
- Laryngomalacia diagnosed in 35 infants, vocal cord palsies in six, and two had normal larynges.
- No complications were reported during the procedures.
- Only one infant required subsequent intervention.
Conclusions:
- Flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy under local anesthesia is a safe and effective method for assessing infant stridor.
- This technique offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional general anesthesia procedures.
- The findings support its use in the day surgery setting for prompt diagnosis and management planning.
Abstract:
Stridor in infants may be potentially serious and would require further investigations in all cases. Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of congenital stridor. This is a self-limiting condition with a good prognosis but other causes of stridor should be excluded to enable the surgeon to plan further intervention if needed. Traditionally microlaryngoscopy and bronchoscopy under a general anaesthetic is performed to evaluate the airway. We have investigated the use of the flexible fibreoptic laryngoscope under local anaesthetics in infants with inspiratory stridor. The procedure was performed in the day surgery unit on a non-fasting, non-sedated child. A retrospective analysis of procedures performed between January 1998 and August 1999 was carried out. Of the 43 patients studied, laryngomalacia was diagnosed in 35, vocal cord palsies in six and two infants had a normal larynx. There were no complications during the procedure and only one child required further intervention. The results showed that the combination of fibreoptic laryngoscopy under local anaesthetic with follow-up is a safe, effective and cost effective method of assessing stridor in this group of patients.
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