Preparation for Advanced Airway Management: Preparation for Awake Intubation

Awake intubation is a key technique in anesthesia, allowing for the safe management of a patient with signs and predictors of a difficult airway/intubation. It is commonly undertaken electively, but can also be used in an emergency. An appropriate history must be taken, along with review of investigations (e.g CT scan, nasendoscopy), followed by a physical examination and development of a safe management plan. A variety of local anesthetic methods exist for topicalization of the airway (2-4% lidocaine), including nerve blocks (glossopharyngeal, recurrent laryngeal, superior laryngeal) to assist this. Sedation and amnesic techniques commonly include the use of benzodiazepines (midazolam), opioids (remifentanil infusion) and alpha agonists (dexmedetomidine). Knowledge of the side effects of these are paramount, including the cardiac and central nervous system with local anesthetic toxicity. 20% lipid emulsions are available in the event of this. This review contains 4 figures, 5 tables, and 25 references. Keywords: awake flexible bronchoscopic intubation, awake endoscopic intubation, remifentanil, dexmedetomidine, airway anesthesia, glossopharyngeal nerve block, recurrent laryngeal nerve block, superior laryngeal nerve block, local anesthetic toxicity, lipid emulation.