Anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) requires proper medications and airway management. Besides an induction agent such as methohexital, a neuromuscular blocker such as succinylcholine (SCh) is often given for muscle relaxation. To maintain the patient\'s oxygen saturation, mask ventilation is required due to this transient chemical paralysis even in the presence of adequate preoxygenation. A morbidly obese, middle-aged female experienced multiple life-threatening hypoxic episodes due to \"bronchospasms\" during prior ECT treatments. A drastic reduction in the SCh dose to about half of the original dose led to much smoother anesthesia courses with no more hypoxic episodes during subsequent ECT treatments. We believe that the lower dosing of SCh avoided a long period of chemical paralysis, which led to a quick return of spontaneous respiration, shortened the need for airway support, and therefore avoided hypoxic episodes in subsequent ECT treatments.

BACKGROUND: Tracheal necrosis post endotracheal intubation is a rare life-threatening disease that can compromise airway patency. We demonstrated a novel usage of upper airway ultrasonography (USG) to diagnose tracheal necrosis.
METHODS: A middle-aged smoking male presented with productive cough, noisy breathing and exertional dyspnea for 2 weeks. He was intubated one month prior due to a traumatic brain injury. Upper airway USG findings showed irregular air-mucosal interface (AMI) and comet tail artefacts over the 1st and 2nd tracheal ring. A direct laryngoscopy in the operating room showed thick mucopus inferior to the vocal cords, with necrotic tracheal cartilages and debris obstructing the airway. He was successfully treated with parenteral antibiotics, wound debridement and tracheostomy.
CONCLUSIONS: Our case highlights the first documented USG findings of tracheal necrosis. Upper airway USG serves as a potential diagnostic modality in managing the condition.

UNASSIGNED: Thyroid gland abscess is a rare pathology with life-threatening complications when there is a delay in diagnosis. However, physicians should be aware of and consider this differential in patients with anterior neck swelling having acute onset compressive symptoms to ensure early diagnosis and management.
UNASSIGNED: A 62-year-old female patient presenting with worsening of painful anterior neck swelling with associated fever, shortness of breath, and difficulty swallowing. The patient was found to have a thyroid abscess causing upper airway obstruction, against a background of follicular nodular disease found on clinical examination, cytology and fluid analysis from aspirate, biopsy, ultrasonography, and computed tomography. The patient was managed with endotracheal intubation and was subsequently discharged after recovery with antibiotic therapy, incision and drainage, and thyroid lobectomy.
UNASSIGNED: Thyroid abscess is an uncommon, critical clinical condition with high morbidity and mortality. Thyroid gland abscess should be considered while evaluating patients presenting with acute onset anterior neck swelling. Satisfactory clinical outcomes could be achieved with early diagnosis and proper management.

Klippel-Feil syndrome-4 (KFS4), a rare autosomal recessive form of Klippel- Feil syndrome, is characterized by facial dysmorphism, nemaline myopathy, and short stature. Only 10 cases of KFS4 have been previously published in the literature. We report a novel case of a 1- month-old girl with known KFS4 and Robin Sequence (RS). At 2 months old, she underwent bilateral mandibular distraction osteogenesis to correct significant airway obstruction. Despite adequate mandibular advancement, the patient failed extubation twice and eventually required a tracheostomy. Due to the multiple anomalies present in KFS4, mandibular distraction osteogenesis may have a decreased likelihood of surgical success.

BACKGROUND: Negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) is a potentially life-threatening complication that develops rapidly following acute upper airway obstruction. The condition is rare, dramatic but resolves quickly. Prompt recognition and appropriate supportive treatment may prevent unnecessary investigations and iatrogenic complications.
METHODS: We describe a spectrum of etiologies and clinical manifestation of pediatric NPPE in our center and review of previous publications.
CONCLUSIONS: The etiology for the development of NPPE in children has shifted over the years. Although dramatic in presentation, this type of pulmonary edema often resolves quickly with minimal support.

UNASSIGNED: Nasogastric tube syndrome (NGTS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. Patients receiving both tracheostomy and indwelling nasogastric tube (NGT) are not uncommon, however difficult tracheostomy decannulation due to NGTS has not been reported.
METHODS: A 65-year-old woman was hospitalized with cervical spine stenosis and cervical spinal cord injury after a fall. The surgeon planned neck surgery, but unanticipated tracheotomy had to perform due to emergency airway during anesthesia induction. She then suffered from acute respiratory distress syndrome and underwent a series of treatments including indwelling NGT. About 2 weeks later, tracheostomy decannulation was planned. Following tracheostomy-tube-occlusion test, however, she experienced severe inspiratory difficulty. Severe supraglottic swelling was found, and the opening of glottis was completely covered by swollen tissue. Three weeks post-tracheostomy, the airway patency test failed again, and NGT was removed. Finally, the tracheostomy tube was successfully removed at 5 weeks after tracheotomy.
UNASSIGNED: This patient developed difficult tracheostomy decannulation due to upper airway obstruction, and NGTS was considered as the main cause. Although vocal cord paralysis and post-cricoid ulcer did not occur in this case, we suggest that severe periglottic swelling may also be a symptom of NGTS. In this patient, upper airway edema gradually relieved after NGT removal, and the artificial airway was also removed 2 weeks later. Therefore, removal of NGT is the primary measure to deal with NGTS.
CONCLUSIONS: Attention should be paid to the effect of NGTS on decannulation in patients receiving long-term tracheotomy and NGT insertion.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is identified as repetitive and intermittent upper airway collapse or narrowing during sleep. Skeletal advancement through maxillomandibular surgery remains the most effective surgical treatment for OSA but is radical with certain relapse rate. Distraction Osteogenesis of mandible is a single-jaw surgical treatment alternative to bi-jaw surgeries having lesser complications. This case report describes successful management of a 46-year-old patient who reported with a chief complain of obstruction in breathing while sleeping since one year. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) secondary to a retrognathic mandible was the final diagnosis, which was successfully treated by Distraction Osteogenesis (DO) of the mandible. The case showed enhancement in airway by 13mm and marked forward movement of Point-B (SNB increased by 6 degrees). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale value decreased from 19mm to 8 mm indicating substantial increase in the airway with stable results after 18 months of follow-up (elimination of symptoms and subsequent sound sleep). Distraction osteogenesis is an effective and reliable method to treat obstructive sleep apnoea secondary to retrognathic mandible.

Negative-pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) is an uncommon diagnosis that requires a high clinical suspicion to recognize and manage and has high morbidity and mortality. It usually results secondary to markedly negative intrapleural pressure due to the forceful inspiration against the obstructed airway from upper airway infection, tumor, or laryngospasm. We present a case of a 27-year-old female with morbid obesity who underwent sleeve gastrectomy and developed NPPE upon emergence from anesthesia. The focus of supportive care should be on addressing the obstruction in the upper airway through either endotracheal intubation or cricothyroidotomy. Additionally, it is important to initiate lung-protective positive-pressure ventilation and promote diuresis, unless the patient is in a state of shock. The resolution of pulmonary edema is typically swift, partially due to the preservation of alveolar fluid clearance mechanisms. In the literature review, we delve into the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, and management of NPPE or post-obstructive pulmonary edema.

In a patient with Parkinson\'s disease (PD) who underwent spine surgery 13 h after the last anti-Parkinson medications, negative pressure pulmonary edema from upper airway obstruction developed immediately after extubation. Although oxygenation improved with high-flow nasal cannula therapy, such complications might develop due to abrupt discontinuation of medication for PD.

Prolonged intubation is associated with several complications leading to upper airway obstruction, including tracheal stenosis and tracheomalacia. Tracheostomy may potentially decrease the risk of tracheal injury in patients with upper airway obstruction. The ideal timing to perform tracheostomy remains controversial. Prolonged intubations were particularly common during the initial phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to present a series of five cases of upper airway complications in patients who underwent mechanical ventilation in the setting of COVID-19 and discuss their clinical aspects, risk factors, and therapeutic strategies.