Ultrasonography in the management of the airway - KRISTENSEN - 2011 - Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica - Wiley Online Library

Ultrasonography in the management of the airway - KRISTENSEN - 2011 - Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica - Wiley Online Library

In this study, it is described how to use ultrasonography (US) for real-time imaging of the airway from the mouth, over pharynx, larynx, and trachea to the peripheral alveoli, and how to use this in airway management. US has several advantages for imaging of the airway – it is safe, quick, repeatable, portable, widely available, and it must be used dynamically for maximum benefit in airway management, in direct conjunction with the airway management, i.e. immediately before, during, and after airway interventions. US can be used for direct observation of whether the tube enters the trachea or the esophagus by placing the ultrasound probe transversely on the neck at the level of the suprasternal notch during intubation, thus confirming intubation without the need for ventilation or circulation.