Anaes Cases · Extubation & recovery
The laryngospasm in the recovery room
The hot case — the paediatric laryngospasm. The 100 per cent O2, the jaw thrust, the Larson manoeuvre, the suction, the small-dose propofol, the suxamethonium (the IM if the no-IV), the atropine (the bradycardia), the reintubation; and the negative-pressure pulmonary oedema.
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Prompt
A 4-year-old child develops the laryngospasm with the silent chest and the falling saturation in the recovery room after the sevoflurane anaesthetic. Manage.
Presentation
A 4-year-old child, with a recent upper-respiratory-tract-infection, develops sudden "crowing" then a silent chest and rapidly-falling oxygen saturation (88 per cent, falling) in the recovery room, 5 minutes after extubation from a sevoflurane anaesthetic for myringotomy. The IV is in situ. Manage.
References1ShowHide
- [3]Albannai N, et al. Effect of Subhypnotic Dose of Propofol on Respiratory Adverse Events Following Postoperative Tonsillectomy/Adenotosillecomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Med, 2026.PMID 41827489