Cooperation with anesthesiologists for acute airway management in the emergency department: A case report

Hwang, Sung Mi; Jang, Ji Su; Kwon, Hyung Ki; Yoo, Jae In; Lee, Soo Kyung; Lee, Jae Jun; Lim, So Young

Case Report

General Article

Anesthesia and Pain Medicine 2011;6(3):303-305.
Published online July 30, 2011.

Cooperation with anesthesiologists for acute airway management in the emergency department: A case report

Sung Mi Hwang, Ji Su Jang, Hyung Ki Kwon, Jae In Yoo, Soo Kyung Lee, Jae Jun Lee, So Young Lim

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Hallym University, School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea. iloveu59@hallym.or.kr

Abstract

Airway management in the emergency department is one of the most important responsibilities of the emergency physician and often involves cooperation with anesthesiologists and trauma surgeons. A 21-year-old woman was transferred to our emergency department for urgent trauma management following a motor vehicle accident. Her face was severely edematous, and her lower maxilla, including the alveoli, was separated from the upper maxilla. She was diagnosed with a Le Fort I fracture with a basal skull fracture. She also had epistaxis and oral bleeding. Her airway was difficult to manage; however, our trauma team, including anesthesiologists, managed her airway successfully in the emergency room.

Key Words: Airway management, Anesthesiologists, Emergency department