Comparison Between Nasal and Oropharyngeal Bleeding in Video Laryngoscopy and Direct Laryngoscopy for Nasal Intubation in Maxillofacial Trauma Patients: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Maxillofacial fractures occur in a significant proportion worldwide and can occur as an isolated injury or in combination with other severe injuries including cranial, spinal, and upper and lower body injuries requiring prompt diagnosis with possible emergency interventions. The epidemiology of facial fractures varies with regard to injury type, severity, and cause and depends on the population studied.

Traumatic maxillofacial fractures are known to have difficulty in airway management due to anatomical and functional reasons. In many situations, treatment of facial fractures requires tracheal intubation. For fractures that involve occlusion, such as mandibular and Lefort fractures, oral intubation inhibits appropriate resolution of the occlusion. In these situations, nasotracheal intubation is indicated.

Direct laryngoscopic (DL) nasal intubations may be challenging if there is altered airway anatomy, difficulty in advancing the endotracheal tube through the glottis or in providers who are in training or those with less experience, even for patients with normal airway anatomy. The presence of cervical spine injury limit neck extension and makes airway manipulation more difficult. The use of Magill forceps is not always successful and is associated with endotracheal tube cuff damage and postoperative pharyngitis.

Video laryngoscopy (VL) is an adjunctive technique in anesthesia that utilizes a camera at the tip of the laryngoscope blade, which provides an indirect view of the glottis and surrounding structures during intubation displayed on a monitor. Use of video laryngoscopes has been shown to result in higher first intubation success, better laryngoscopic views, less mucosal trauma.

A bougie that is a long, stiff plastic wand is required to direct the tube to the glottis through manipulation through nasal route. bougie overcame the limitations of endotracheal tube direction and provided an advantage of rail-roading the tube over the bougie under vision leaving no possibility of trauma caused by direct or magill forceps tube manipulation.