Abstract
We experienced anesthetic management of a bronchial foreign body in a 10-month-old infant using the laryngeal mask airway. At first, we tried to remove the foreign body using a rigid ventilation bronchoscope. However, the foreign body was in the left upper lobe bronchi, which could not be reached by the rigid bronchoscope.
Therefore, we decided to employ a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope for removal of theforeign body while ventilation was supported by the laryngeal mask airway.
After anesthesia was induced with thiamylal and maintained with oxygen and sevoflurane, a size-2.5 laryngeal mask airway was inserted. The flexible bronchoscope was inserted through the laryngeal mask airway but could not be advanced to the foreign body because of stenosis in the left main bronchus.
Therefore, we tried a 1.8mm-external-diameter flexible bronchoscope with extraction forceps, resulting in successful advance into the left main bronchus and removal of the foreign body.
Because of the relatively widediameter of conventional endotracheal tubes, the use of the laryngeal mask airway for fiberoptic bronchoscopy should be considered in infants.
