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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

A Novel Rescue Technique for Difficult Intubation and Difficult Ventilation
Published on: January 17, 2011
Paced glottic closure for controlling aspiration pneumonia in patients with neurologic deficits of various causes
Michael Broniatowski1, Nina Z Moore, Sharon Grundfest-Broniatowski
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Ohio, USA.
Objectives:
We undertook to determine whether paced vocal fold adduction can check aspiration in patients with various neurologic conditions.
Methods:
Five patients with fluoroscopically documented aspiration and repeated pneumonias were enrolled. Two previously reported patients with hemispheric stroke were compared to 3 additional subjects with brain stem-basal ganglia and cerebellar stroke, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. A modified Vocare stimulator was implanted subcutaneously and linked to the ipsilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve via perineural electrodes. Vocal fold adduction and glottic closure were effected with pulse trains (42 Hz; 1.2 mA; 188 to 560 micros) and recorded with Enhanced Image J. Fluoroscopy results with and without stimulation were assessed by 2 independent blinded reviewers. Pneumonia rates were compared before, during, and after the 6- to 12-month enrollment periods.
Results:
There was statistically significant vocal fold adduction (p < 0.05) for all patients, further verified with bolus arrest (p < 0.05 for thin liquids, thick liquids, and puree depending on the speech-language pathologist). Pneumonia was prevented in 4 of the 5 patients during enrollment. In the fifth patient, who had brain stem-basal ganglia and cerebellar stroke, we were unable to completely seal the glottis and open the cricopharyngeus enough to handle his secretions.
Conclusions:
Vocal fold pacing for aspiration pneumonia from a variety of neurologic insults appears to be appropriate as long as the glottis can be sealed. It is not sufficient when the cricopharyngeus must be independently opened.
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