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Updated: Mar 11, 2026

A Novel Rescue Technique for Difficult Intubation and Difficult Ventilation
Published on: January 17, 2011
Known difficult airway in a patient with pheochromocytoma: a case report
Laura Alonso Guardo1, Carlos Cano Gala2, Antonio Rodriguez Calvo1
1Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Health Center Complex, Salamanca, Paseo San Vicente, 88-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
Abstract:
The manipulation of an airway is always a critical moment in the anesthetic management of patients with pheochromocytoma due to the high incidence of undesirable hemodynamic events in relation with the stimulus represented by the laryngoscopy. A known difficult airway in which it is necessary to carry out an orotracheal intubation while preserving spontaneous ventilation subjects the patient to a stressful situation. The objective is to obtain an acceptable level of comfort and sedation avoiding respiratory depression (Anesthesiol Clin 2015;33:233-40). In this case, we describe the management of a known difficult airway in a patient with a pheochromocytoma and a personal history of arterial hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who underwent orotracheal intubation with spontaneous ventilation with Airtraq and with dexmedetomidine as the only sedative agent.
Conclusion:
Dexmedetomidine is a useful drug for sedation during orotracheal intubation with spontaneous ventilation in a patient with pheochromocytoma and a chronic respiratory pathology (Chin Med J (Engl) 2015;128:3143-3148, J Clin Anesth 2007; 19:370-373).
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