Management of Difficult Airway in a Patient with Oral Cavity Cancer: Case Report

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Published: Jan 30, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47191/ijmscrs/v5-i01-31
Keywords:
difficult airway anesthesia cancer head and neck surgery

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Katia Leticia Mendez Duarte
Third year anesthesiology resident. General Hospital of Cancun. Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Yucatan.
Ángel Gustavo Bernabe Flores
Anesthesiologist and teacher at the General Hospital of Cancun.
Fernando Alberto Avelar Ocampo
Third year resident in anesthesiology. General Hospital of Cancun. Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Yucatan.

Abstract

For the anesthesiologist the management of a difficult airway is crucial to avoid serious complications that can endanger the life of a patient, so multiple strategies and tools have been developed to prevent mishaps. In this case report we present a patient with a diagnosis of inferior alveolar ridge carcinoma who presents with modifications in the head and neck anatomy, due to a history of previous surgical interventions and radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment. The patient was scheduled to undergo surgery to take and apply a free graft in the neck, which was successfully performed with rapid sequence intubation in an awake patient. The Royal College of Anesthesia's fourth National Audit Project (NAP4) conducted a study in which it was reported that approximately 40% of patients presenting with an airway complication during anesthesia were related to head and neck tumors, so the following is an analysis of predicted difficult airway management.

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How to Cite
Mendez Duarte, K. L., Ángel Gustavo Bernabe Flores, & Fernando Alberto Avelar Ocampo. (2025). Management of Difficult Airway in a Patient with Oral Cavity Cancer: Case Report. International Journal of Medical Science and Clinical Research Studies, 5(1), 184–188. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijmscrs/v5-i01-31
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Vol. 5 No. 1 (2025): Volume 05 Issue 01 January 2025
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Articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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