Case report of the one-armed anesthesiology resident

A severe limb injury challenges an anesthesiologist's ability to provide care. We describe the difficulties encountered by an anesthesiology resident with a severely injured left arm and present solutions to overcoming an inability to perform traditional direct laryngoscopy. Airway management adjuncts explored include modified left-handed direct laryngoscopy, lighted stylet intubation, fiberoptic intubation, Laryngeal Mask Airway, Combitube, retrograde wire technique, and the eventual conversion to direct laryngoscopy with the right hand with the reversed Macintosh and the Cranwall modification of the Miller blade. The practical and social problems of a disability during residency are also discussed.