Laryngospasm

From WikiLectures

Laryngospasm is a physiological defensive reflex that prevents aspiration. It is one of the possible complications for inducting and waking a patient from anesthesia. The patient manifests difficulty breathing with distantly audible wheezing, a gradual decrease in saturation, sometimes tachycardia.

  • caused by laryngeal irritation (fluid, food, examination, inflammation) → tightening of the larynx sphincters,
  • during anesthesia it can be caused by manipulation in the larynx (intubation, extubation), salivation or aspiration in case of vomiting
Symptomatology
  • sudden cessation of breathing, respiratory arrest, panic fear, seizure sometimes ends spontaneously.
Therapy
  • can be canceled by another reflex (blow to the chest, irritation of the nasal mucosa, pulling of the root of the tongue).
  • during anesthesia, we administer assited ventilation with 100% oxygen,
  • deepen anesthesia by administering 30-50 mg of Propofol, or give Suxamethonium 0.25-0.5 mg / kg
  • in case of still non-receding laryngospasm we give a full dose of Suxamethonium and perform reintubaton, then we give 100% oxygen


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Used literature[edit | edit source]

  • CHILD, P.. Internal Medicine. 2. edition. Prague : Galén, 2007. ISBN 978-80-7262-496-6.


  • G., Barash – F., Cullen – K., Stoelting. Clinical anesthesiology : Translation of the 6th edition. 6. edition. Grada Publishing, a.s., 2015. pp. 816. ISBN 9788024740539.