[Usefullness of bronchofiberscopy for difficult intubation in patients with severe motor and intellectual...

In 21 patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities, bronchofiberoptic intubation was performed because of difficulty in tracheal intubation by direct laryngoscopy. The patients ranged from 3 to 35 years old (mean age: 20.2 years). Twenty patients (95.2%) were bedridden. Among the 21 patients, 15 had cerebral palsy and 20 had hypertonia. The reason for intubation were acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia in 17 cases, suffocation after aspiration of food in 2 cases, hypovolemic shock in 1 case, and laryngotracheomalacia in 1 case. Intubation was done pernasally in 15 patients and perorally in 10. It was successful in 20 cases without any significant complications. The Cormack score ranged from 3rd degree in 4 cases to 4th in 17 cases. The 20 cases of successful fiberoptic intubation were divided into 7 patients with and 13 without tracheostomy. The mortality rate was 14.3% in patients with tracheostomy and 30.8% in those without tracheostomy. When more than 4 intubation trials were needed, there was a significantly higher mortality rate. In neurologically handicapped patients with deformity or hypertonia of the oral, cervical, or airway structures, a bronchofiberoptic procedure may be recommended when there is difficulty with intubation.