Emergency department management of surgical airway complications.

Abstract

Emergency clinicians are often responsible for the acute management of complications pertaining to both the acute difficult airway and the chronic surgical airway; however, clinical knowledge and/or experience may be lacking. This review provides an overview of surgical airway complications, which can be a result of mechanical, infectious, or hematologic causes, and provides best-practice recommendations. Current consensus guidelines for the management of the difficult airway and indications for a surgical airway are discussed.