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. 2020 Feb 19:12:41-48.
doi: 10.2147/CCIDE.S228326. eCollection 2020.

Submental Intubations in Panfacial Fractures

Ravish Mishra  1 , Deepak Yadav  1 , Shashank Tripathi  1 , Laxmi Kandel  1 , Pawan Puspa Baral  2 , Snigdha Shubham  3 , Abhishek Karn  4 , Kishor Dutta  5
Affiliations

Submental Intubations in Panfacial Fractures

Ravish Mishra et al. Clin Cosmet Investig Dent. .

Abstract

Introduction: Airway management in patients with panfacial fracture remains a challenge to anesthesiologists and surgeons. Submental intubation is an effective and less invasive alternative to tracheostomy during intraoperative airway management where orotracheal and nasotracheal intubation are not appropriate options. In addition, submental intubation allows proper access to oronasal airways and occlusion during intraoperative management.

Methods: The descriptive retrospective study was carried out and evaluated the outcomes of submental intubation in the management of panfacial fracture, complex maxillary or mandible fracture associated with nasal bone fracture and naso-orbito-ethmoid (NOE) fracture. The medical records of 23 patients who received submental endotracheal intubation were reviewed at UCMS College of Dental Surgery, Bhairahawa, Rupandehi, Nepal from March 2014 to December 2018. The following parameters were evaluated: mode of trauma, time required for intubation, accidental extubation, accidental perforation of the pilot balloon during its insertion, period of hospital stay, post-operative complications, such as the healing of submental scars both intraorally and extraorally.

Results: The submental intubation was successfully done in all patients with minimal obvious post-operative complications. The mode of trauma for majority of cases of panfacial fracture who underwent submental intubation was road traffic accident (69.56%). The mean time required for intubation was 8.43 (±0.84) minutes. No accidental extubations occurred. Accidental perforation of the pilot balloon was seen in one patient (4.35%) during tube manipulation which was managed successfully by changing the tube. The healing of submental scars was uneventful intraorally and extraorally in almost every case. The mean period of hospital stay in patients with submental intubation was 7.95 (±1.49) days.

Discussion: Submental intubation is an effective and safe method as it is not associated with complications of tracheostomy during management of panfacial fracture, NOE fracture and craniofacial fracture. In addition, it does not interfere with IMF during intraoperative period.

Keywords: airway management; intermaxillary fixation; panfacial fracture; submental intubation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Incision made at submental region after orotracheal intubation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Endotracheal tube has been passed from oral to submental through surgically created tunnel.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Endotracheal tube is connected to circuit after successful switch of tube from oral to submental.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Gender distribution of panfacial fracture.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mode of trauma in panfacial fracture.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Individual site fracture distribution of patients who have undergone submental intubation.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Intraoperative pilot balloon perforation of endotracheal tube.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Post-operative complications in patients who have undergone submental intubation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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