[Severe airway obstruction relieved by sedation using sevoflurane in a pediatric patient with tracheobronchomalacia]

A 3-month-old baby with trisomy 18 syndrome was scheduled for tracheostomy under general anesthesia because of the prolonged tracheal intubation. Immediately after transferring the patient to the operating table, the patient suddenly began crying and coughing, resulting in severe hypoxia. The patient's lungs could not be ventilated by manual and positive pressure ventilation, and airway obstruction could not be relieved until the respiratory effort spontaneously decreased. We started to administer sevoflurane on the recommendation of pediatricians who had successfully treated the patient with sedation using either midazolam or trichlorethylphosphate in similar situations. After sevoflurane administration, the sedated patient never developed the respiratory effort, and the lungs could be ventilated by manual and positive pressure ventilation without difficulty. The patient was diagnosed as tracheobronchomalacia as a result of intraoperative flexible bronchoscopy performed through tracheostomy tube, revealing significant narrowing of both the trachea and mainstem bronchus lumens. Sedation using sevoflurane may be helpful in maintaining airway patency in the pediatric patient with tracheobronchomalacia.