Introducing the First Distal Pharyngeal Airway.

Airway obstruction during anesthesia is a common occurrence with potentially serious outcomes. Increasingly, patients are older, heavier, and more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea-all heightened risk factors for airway complications. These patients undergo procedures where distal pharyngeal tissues can relax, obstructing the airway.

Airway Management for Deep Sedation: Current Practice, Limitations, and Needs as Identified by Clinical Observation and Survey Results.

Using deep sedation, adjunct airway devices such as oral or nasal airways are frequently required to maintain airway patency. Traditional oral airways (TOAs, made of rigid plastic) or nasal airways (made of pliable materials) can be associated with adverse effects, contributing to a trend of anesthesia providers placing nasal airways orally. A clinical observational study and an electronic provider survey were conducted to examine this emerging practice.