Author: Johanna Selway / Editor: Yasmin Sultan / Reviewer: Johanna Selway, Ciaran Mackle / Codes: / Published: 13/01/2021 / Reviewed: 07/12/2024
It is 3am. You are urgently called to A and E resus for a 56-year-old patient bleeding from a known base of tongue tumour.
You are told he was maintaining his airway on arrival but as you arrive the bleeding gets worse and you can hear signs of an obstructed airway as you approach the patient. Despite 15L of oxygen via a non re-breathe mask he begins to desaturate and loses consciousness.
He is scheduled for urgent curative surgery that is due to take place the following week.
You ask your resus nurse to call for assistance from the anaesthetist on call, but are told that they are in emergency theatres and will be another 30 minutes. Your A and E consultant is also 30 minutes away. You are the only airway trained individual in the department that morning.
You attempt to intubate but are unsuccessful despite 2 attempts.
You are unable to intubate. You insert oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airways but are unable to ventilate this patient, either via a subglottic airway device or using face mask ventilation.
