A 42-year-old man with ankylosing spondylitis is admitted to ICU with community-acquired pneumonia and type 1 respiratory failure. Intubation is antic...

Question

A 42-year-old man with ankylosing spondylitis is admitted to ICU with community-acquired pneumonia and type 1 respiratory failure. Intubation is anticipated. The anaesthetist notes a severely fixed, flexed cervical spine with minimal mouth opening. According to the Difficult Airway Society 2015 guidelines, what is the primary plan?

Accepted Answer

Awake fibreoptic intubation

Answer

Proceed with direct laryngoscopy using a standard Macintosh blade

Answer

Emergency surgical tracheostomy under local anaesthesia

Answer

Blind nasal intubation

Answer

Laryngeal mask airway insertion followed by intubation through the LMA

uk-fficm MCQ (SBA): Difficult Airway Management