Perinatal management of the anticipated difficult airway

M Silena Mosquera; Sara Yuter; Alan W Flake

doi:10.1016/j.siny.2023.101485

Perinatal management of the anticipated difficult airway

Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2023 Oct;28(5):101485. doi: 10.1016/j.siny.2023.101485. Epub 2023 Nov 20.

Authors

M Silena Mosquera¹, Sara Yuter¹, Alan W Flake²

Affiliations

¹ Center for Fetal Research, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
² Center for Fetal Research, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 38030438
DOI: 10.1016/j.siny.2023.101485

Abstract

The ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure was originally developed to reverse tracheal occlusion in fetuses with severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia that underwent fetal tracheal occlusion. The EXIT procedure has since been applied to a wide range of indications, but the primary indication remains securing a patent airway and providing respiratory support in fetuses with anticipated difficult airways. The authors review perinatal management of the anticipated difficult airway and their single-institution's experience with the EXIT procedure.

Keywords: Airway obstruction; Bronchoscopy; EXIT; Endotracheal tube (ETT); Ex utero intrapartum treatment; Laryngoscopy; Tracheostomy.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Airway Obstruction* / surgery
Cesarean Section
Female
Fetus
Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital* / surgery
Humans
Pregnancy
Tracheostomy