Pharyngeal function, airway protection and anesthetic agents

TL;DRAbstract

<p>Anesthesia related complications occur most frequently in the immediate postoperative period. The three most common conditions associated with such events are ventilatory failure, airway obstruction and aspiration. The pharynx is essential for respiration and protection of the upper airway. We hypothesized that residual concentrations of anesthetic agents (neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA), propofol and inhaled anesthetics) impair pharyngeal function and airway protection.</p><p>Using simultaneous solid-state videomanometry we studied the effects of anesthetic agents on pharyngeal function and airway protection in awake human volunteers. Partial neuromuscular block was induced by a continuous infusion of vecuronium or atracurium to train-of-four (TOF) ratios of 0.60 - 0.80, followed by spontaneous recovery. A four- to five-fold increase in the incidence of pharyngeal dysfunction with impaired airway protection and bolus penetrating to the laryngeal inlet was rev

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