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Direct Laryngoscopy In Children

Categories: DIRECT LARYNGOSCOPY
Sources: A Manual Of Peroral Endoscopy And Laryngeal Surgery

The epiglottis in children is

usually strongly curled, often omega shaped, and is very elusive and

slippery. The larynx of a child is very freely movable in the neck

during respiration and deglutition, and has a strong tendency to

retreat downward during examination, and thus withdraw the epiglottis

after the arytenoids have been exposed. In following down with the

laryngoscope the speculum is prone to enter the hypoph
rynx. Lifting

in this location will expose the mouth of the esophagus and shut off

the larynx, and may cause respiratory arrest. Practice, however, will

soon develop a technic and ability to recognize the landmarks in state

of spasm, so that on exposing the approximated arytenoid eminences the

endoscopist will maintain his position and wait for the larynx to

open. The procedure should be done without any form of anesthesia for

the following reasons:

1. Anesthesia is unnecessary.

2. It is extremely dangerous in a dyspneic patient.

3. It is inadmissable in a patient with diphtheria.

4. If anesthesia is to be used, direct laryngoscopy will never reach

its full degree of usefulness, because anesthesia makes a major

procedure out of a minor one.

5. Cocain in children is dangerous, and its application more

annoying than the examination.



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