Anaes Cases · Aspiration & regurgitation
The bowel obstruction for the emergency surgery
The long case — the full-stomach bowel-obstruction patient. The full RSI, the available suction, the awake intubation option, the head-up, the cricoid (the modified), the induction-agent and the relaxant choice, and the failed-intubation plan.
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Prompt
A 68-year-old man with the small-bowel obstruction for the emergency laparotomy. Discuss the RSI and the aspiration-prevention plan.
Presentation
A 68-year-old man, the ASA 3, with the 4-day small-bowel obstruction (the vomiting, the distension, the dehydration), for the emergency laparotomy. He is dehydrated, the haemoglobin concentrated, the electrolytes deranged. The airway assessment is unremarkable. Discuss the RSI and the aspiration-prevention plan.
References3ShowHide
- [1]Sorbello M, et al. Pharmacological approach to rapid sequence induction: a contemporary review. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol, 2025.PMID 40493782
- [3]Russotto V, et al. Airway management in critically ill patients with obesity. Intensive Care Med, 2026.PMID 42126552
- [42126553]Bersten AD, Soni N (eds) Oh's Intensive Care Manual. 8th edition, Elsevier, 2018.