Airway anatomy for the bronchoscopist: An anesthesia approach

Publication date: July–September 2014 Source:Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology, Volume 42, Issue 3 Author(s): Hans Fred García Araque , Oscar Valencia Orgaz , Ramón López Vicente , Sergio Esteban Gutiérrez Vidal Introduction Knowledge and the development of skills in airway management is one of the core competencies in the training of the anesthesiologist. “Know how” and “Knowing to do well and fast” are decisive under certain critical situations that may arise in the management of anesthesia. Bronchoscopy is a useful diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. Knowledge of the technique and airway anatomy is the cornerstone of bronchoscopy; however, there are anatomical variations and different airway classifications. Objective To describe the airway anatomy by means of schematic representations, to assess anatomical variations and to learn about the characteristics of the procedure. Methodology A non-systematic review of databases (PUBMED/MEDLINE, Science Direct, OVID, SciElo) was undertaken using the following. Results and conclusions Bronchoscopy is a useful surgical and diagnostic procedure for different applications. The anatomical variations of the airway are only present in a small percentage of the population. Anatomical classifications are both anatomically and numerically diverse; however, what is really relevant is to develop a spatial relationship. Bronchoscopy is a technique that evolves simultaneously with other technical biomedical brea...
Source: Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research