[Blind nasotracheal intubation in the muscle-relaxed patient]

A modified method of blind nasal intubation, using a muscle relaxant, is described, which has been used in 100 patients with an efficacy of 96%. The risk of suboxygenation was overcome by withdrawing the tube to the epipharynx and ventilating the patient's lungs after each failure to insert the tube in the trachea. The blind nasotracheal intubation of a relaxed patient is to be considered, when orotracheal intubation will be difficult or impossible to achieve, because of anatomic abnormalities or pathologic conditions of the upper respiratory tract. The dangers and complications of the method are discussed.