ENT doctors employ a small device laryngoscope to examine voice box or larynx and throat to diagnose diseases. The device is also used for endotracheal intubation which helps the patient breathe during an emergency or surgical procedure. This procedure is named as laryngoscopy. Doctors can do this to find out why the patient is suffering from a cough or a throat sore, to identify and take away the particles that hang out there, or they can pick samples of patient’s tissue to inspect it later.
Laryngoscope
When doctors need to inspect or diagnose a disease by looking onto patient’s larynx and surrounding regions of the throat or place a tube into the trachea to help to breathe, they utilize a small hand instrument known as a laryngoscope. The latest version of this instrument has a little video camera.
Why Is Laryngoscope Instrument used?
Laryngoscope instrument is used to perform laryngoscopy in order to find out following:
- Identify the nature of a persistent cough, pain in throat, reason of bleeding, voice changes, or persistent affected breath
- Inspection for swelling, inflammation, and irritation
- Find out a likely constricted or obstruction of the throat
- Take out foreign particles, for instance, little toys mistakenly swallowed by children
- Examine or acquire a sample of tissue or a mass in the vocal cords or the throat
- Pinpoint swallowing causes
- Identify likely cancer
- Examine the causes of ongoing ear pain
- Find out the causes of voice issues, for instance, no or weak voice, breathy or hoarse voice
Types of Laryngoscope
Disposable Laryngoscope
Disposable Laryngoscopes are available in the market as a single-use laryngoscope. These instruments offer the function and maneuver of a reusable metal blade and offer lighting technology that gives robust, pointed and consistent illumination with optimized battery consumption. High-quality single use Blades also remove the issues of reusable blades, together with the cost of reprocessing and the time, without compromising material strength or quality of illumination.
Reusable Laryngoscope
Reusable laryngoscopes are also available in the market. There are different of airway management solutions available in the market which are manufactured to make placement safe and organized. Handles are flexible to sterilize. Fiber optic devices manufactured from stainless steel and reused blades that attach quickly moreover illuminates the path to procedural perfection. There are also water resistant handles that can work purposefully through disinfection.
Guided Video Laryngoscope
There are guided video laryngoscopes available in the market. The technology utilizes reusable optics with disposable blades. Video Laryngoscope technology is an innovative means to help doctors with medical intubations from normal to complexed procedures. This technology offers precise intubation while assisting to control the cross-contamination hazard.
Laryngoscope blades
- Macintosh Blades
- Miller Blades
Adult
Macintosh Blade (curved) 3 and 4 are used based on suitability. Video laryngoscope blade sizes vary differently however Glidescope no. 3 is suitable for most large male patients
Children
Consider a wider Laryngoscope Blade in syndromic children such as Macroglossia
- For most infants and young children, Miller blade which is a straight blade is used mostly. It helps to keep the large epiglottis out of the procedural path
- For premature infants, Miller blade no 0 is mostly used.
- For term infant, Miller blade no. 1 is mostly used.
- For two years old children, Miller blade no. 2 is mostly used.
- For nine years old children, Miller blade no. 3 is mostly used.
- For a child of eight years, Macintosh Blade no 2 curved may be used.
Laryngoscopy Procedures
Understand the function of Human’s Larynx
Larynx aids humans to do conversation, breath, and eat. It’s at the rear surface of the throat and at the apex of trachea or windpipe. It contains humans’ vocal cords, which resonate to make voice as a person speaks.
There are numerous ways a doctor may carry on with this procedure:
How are the patients prepared for Procedure?
The doctor might want to have some X-rays or perform other image scanning tests before a laryngoscopy. These tests are done to make sure conditions are feasible for a laryngoscopy. Any complication will not prompt the doctor to go further with this procedure.
Laryngoscopy Indirect Procedure
This is the easiest procedure. A doctor may utilize a little mirror and a beam of light to inspect the patient’s throat. The mirror is on placed on a handle, like the one a dental surgeon often utilizes, and it’s mounted against the top of a patient’s mouth. The doctor opens a light beam into the patient’s mouth to examine the reflection in the mirror. It can be performed in a doctor’s office in just five to ten minutes.
The patient will be sitting in a chair while the inspection is completed. The doctor might sprinkle spray into the throat to make it insensitive. Although getting something in throat might make patients choke.
Direct fiber-optic laryngoscopy
Most of the doctors now do this type of procedure, usually known as flexible laryngoscopy. The doctor uses a little telescope at the terminal of a cable, which goes up in the patient’s nose and down into his/her throat.
This procedure is carried out within ten minutes. The patient will be having a numb dose for the nose. At times a decongestant is utilized to unfold the patient’s nasal passages. Gagging is a known reaction with this procedure just as the earlier one.
Direct laryngoscopy
Complications of using Laryngoscope
- Pain or turgescence in the tongue, mouth, or throat.
- Bleeding due to unsafe instrument movement
- Abnormal Voice changes
- Vomiting or gagging
- Other infections
If the patient was offered anesthesia, he/she might feel sleepy or nauseous afterward. The patient might have a dried mouth or he/she can feel soaring within the throat. These are some of the general reactions to the anesthesia. But if a patient finds oneself in augmented pain, getting a fever, vomiting or coughing out blood, having issues with swallowing or breathing, or getting pain in the chest, patient attendants should call the doctor immediately.
