Clinical Communiqué Volume 10 Issue 2 June 2023

Download PDF:  Clinical Communiqué June 2023 Edition

In this edition

• Editorial

• Case #1: A fatal toothache

• Case #2: Pulling teeth and tubes - a cautionary tale

• Expert Commentary: Extubation: An assesment of risk and strategy

In this edition we present two cases of extubation crises in post-operative patients who had upper airway signs and symptoms from dental pathology. The patients’ original conditions had been surgically managed, and each patient had a patent and secure airway. Then, a series of decisions and actions led to the loss of airway protection, a failure to recognise the severity of the situation, and an inability to salvage the situation.

The expert commentary in this edition is written by Dr Louise Ellard, an anaesthetist, and the President of the Safe Airway Society, who cogently describes when and how to perform a safe extubation.