Submental intubation in maxillofacial trauma patients

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Anesthesiology
• Trauma Management

Background:

• Severely traumatized maxillofacial patients present unique airway management challenges.
• Conventional intubation methods can be difficult or contraindicated in these cases.
• Submental intubation offers an alternative airway access route.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a modified submental intubation technique.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of this modified technique.
• To assess the complication rate associated with submental intubation in maxillofacial trauma.

Main Methods:

• A modified submental intubation technique was employed.
• The procedure was performed on twelve patients with maxillofacial trauma.
• Patients underwent surgery under general anesthesia for facial fracture treatment between 2007 and 2012.

Main Results:

• The study included patients aged 14 to 39 years.
• No complications were observed following the modified submental intubation.
• Specifically, no instances of infection, hypertrophic scarring, lingual nerve injury, hematoma, bleeding, ranula formation, or orocutaneous fistula occurred.

Conclusions:

• Modified submental intubation is a highly beneficial technique for managing maxillofacial trauma.
• This method demonstrates a significantly low complication rate.
• It is a valuable addition to the armamentarium for airway management in complex facial injuries.