[Airway management in the morbidly obese patient].

Obesity has become a "global pandemic" in the modern world. One of the anesthetic challenges associated with obesity is securing the patients' airway. It is well known that obese patients have a higher complication rate during anesthesia as compared to patients with normal weight, but the reasons for this are controversial.

Cough, expiration and aspiration reflexes: possible anesthetic implications - a brief review.

Systematic study in animals indicated, that in addition to cough there are 2 distinct airway reflexes. The aspiration reflex (AspR) characterized by rapid and strong gasp-like inspiration provoked by stimulation of nasopharynx, nasal phyltrum or auricle of ear. The expiration reflex (ExpR) manifests by prompt expiration, induced by laryngeal stimulation.