PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Arash Pirat
AU  - Selim Candan
AU  - Aytekin Ünlükaplan
AU  - Özgür Kömürcü
AU  - Selim Kuşlu
AU  - Gülnaz Arslan
TI  - Percutaneous Dilational Tracheotomy for Airway Management in a Newborn With Pierre-Robin Syndrome and a Glossopharyngeal Web
AID  - 10.4187/respcare.01404
DP  - 2012 Apr 01
TA  - Respiratory Care
PG  - 627--630
VI  - 57
IP  - 4
4099  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/57/4/627.short
4100  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/57/4/627.full
AB  - Pierre-Robin syndrome (PRS) is often associated with difficulty in endotracheal intubation. We present the use of percutaneous dilational tracheotomy (PDT) for airway management of a newborn with PRS and a glossopharyngeal web. A 2-day-old term newborn with PRS and severe obstructive dyspnea was evaluated by the anesthesiology team for airway management. A direct laryngoscopy revealed a glossopharyngeal web extending from the base of the tongue to the posterior pharyngeal wall. The infant was spontaneously breathing through a 2 mm diameter fistula in the center of this web. It was decided that endotracheal intubation was impossible, and a PDT was planned. The trachea of the newborn was cannulated, using a 20 gauge peripheral venous catheter and a 0.71 mm guide wire was introduced through this catheter. Using 5 French, 7 French, 9 French, and 11 French central venous catheter kit dilators, staged tracheotomy stoma dilation was performed. By inserting a size 3.0 tracheotomy cannula, PDT was successfully completed in this newborn. This case describes the successful use of PDT for emergency airway management of a newborn with PRS and glossopharyngeal web.