Advancing airway management for enhanced patient outcomes: a narrative review

Abstract

Airway management evidence has primarily been gathered within the operating room, particularly during the induction of anesthesia. The introduction of newly developed supraglottic devices and videolaryngoscopes have significantly impacted the guidelines for managing difficult airways, prompting the need for new evaluation criteria. Moreover, airway complications such as accidental extubation may occur during surgery, while aspiration or respiratory suppression can manifest during the recovery period following extubation. In this review, I will explore the potential future standards for airway management and potential indications for its application. Additionally, I will underscore the significance of emergency airway management during both the surgical procedure and the recovery phase. It is imperative that we not only accumulate knowledge related to managing difficult airways but also focus on emergency airway management in the future. This calls for interprofessional airway management training for all members of the perioperative team. Key words: Airway Management; Videolaryngoscope; Supraglottic Device; Future Direction Abbreviations: DAM - Difficult Airway Management; DAS - Difficult Airway Society; OR - operating room; SGD - Supraglottic Device; VLS – videolaryngoscope Citation: Komasawa N. Advancing airway management for enhanced patient outcomes: a narrative review. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2024;28(1):171−176; DOI: 10.35975/apic.v28i1.2391 Received: December 12, 2023; Reviewed: December 16, 2023; Accepted: December 16, 2023