Episode 18: POCUS Assessments of the Airway

Episode Summary 

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) assessments of the airway is simply awesome! By utilizing POCUS during our preoperative airway examination, we can now determine with a greater certitude the level of difficulty of a patient’s airway as well as locate anatomical structures (such as the cricothyroid membrane) and endotracheal tube positioning within the airway. 

In today’s episode Jeremy and Mark go over basic ultrasound skills and then discuss the various POCUS airway assessments. They then discuss two POCUS techniques for locating the cricothyroid membrane and finish up with a discussion on how to determine where the endotracheal tube is positioned using POCUS. It most definitely is POCUS “Go Time”! 

Link to Ultrasound Images: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/9/1541 

(Click on “Browse Figures”) 

References 

1.    Lin J, et al. Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Airway Evaluation and Management: A Comprehensive Review. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023;13(9):1541. Published 2023 Apr 25. 

2.    Gomes SH, et al. The Use of Ultrasound in Airway Management: Video in Clinical Anesthesia. Anesth Analg. 2024;139(4):887-890. 

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Music by Alex Grohl