Revisiting a case of difficult airway with a rigid laryngoscope

Abstract

A cook airway exchange catheter is a long hollow and semirigid catheter which is routinely used for endotracheal tube (ETT) exchange in the intensive care unit setting or even in the operating room in an event of unexpected difficult airway. We describe a novel technique of using an ETT exchanger with the help of a rigid laryngoscope to facilitate intubation as a strategy in a patient with an anticipated difficult airway due to laryngeal cancer presenting as stridor with respiratory distress.

Keywords: anaesthesia; cancer intervention; cancer-see oncology; ear, nose and throat; head and neck cancer.