Laryngoscopy Exploration: Meaning, What You'll Encounter, and Further Details
In emergency medical situations, doctors may use a flexible laryngoscopy to check a person's airway before intubation. This procedure involves the use of a flexible tube equipped with a light and camera to inspect parts of the throat.
Before the procedure, doctors will spray a person's throat with a numbing medication and a nasal decongestant. During the procedure, people are usually asked to do several actions such as sticking their tongue out, sniffing in, blowing their cheeks out, turning their head left and right, counting to 10 aloud, swallowing, and saying "eeee."
After the doctor has examined a person's throat, they will gently withdraw the laryngoscope. People may feel lightheaded and should stay seated until this passes. They may also experience temporary nosebleeds or coughs. It is important to avoid drinking or eating for at least 1 hour after the procedure to prevent food or drink from going into the lungs due to leftover anesthetic.
Some results, such as biopsies, may take a few days or longer and require a follow-up appointment. People should inform their doctor about any medications or supplements they are taking before a flexible laryngoscopy, including known allergies to medications.
Flexible laryngoscopies are used for various reasons, such as checking for foreign bodies, difficulty swallowing, chronic cough, pain when swallowing, hoarseness, chronic throat pain, sensation of a lump in the throat, symptoms of aspiration, hemoptysis, difficulty undergoing a laryngoscopy with rigid laryngoscopes, and high risk of head and neck cancer.
Flexible laryngoscopies usually do not require overnight stays in a hospital. However, possible risks or complications from a flexible laryngoscopy include tearing and bleeding in the nose, laryngospasm, gagging, and coughing.
There are several alternatives to flexible laryngoscopy for examining parts of a person's throat. Videolaryngoscopy uses a small camera inserted via the mouth or nose to provide a video view of the larynx and surrounding structures. Direct laryngoscopy involves direct visualization of the larynx with a rigid laryngoscope, while indirect laryngoscopy is a simpler office-based technique where the doctor uses a light source and a small mirror to see the larynx. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy is similar to flexible laryngoscopy but typically used for detailed airway examination and also as an intubation aid. A novel periscope-based, 3D printed indirect laryngoscope has been developed as a low-cost alternative to direct and video laryngoscopes.
People should not swallow during the procedure unless the doctor asks them to. It is crucial to follow the instructions of healthcare providers, who may ask people to stop taking blood thinning or other medications several days before the procedure, and to not eat or drink for several hours beforehand.
[1] Smith, J. A., et al. (2019). Comparison of video laryngoscopy and direct laryngoscopy for tracheal intubation in the emergency department. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 74(4), 358-366.
[2] Rao, S. P., et al. (2018). Comparison of fiberoptic bronchoscopy and videolaryngoscopy for tracheal intubation in the emergency department. The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 54(5), 598-605.
[3] Khalid, A., et al. (2020). A novel periscope-based, 3D printed indirect laryngoscope: a proof of concept study. BMJ Open, 10(11), e041246.
[4] Tajik, A. H., et al. (2018). Indirect laryngoscopy: a simple, effective, and inexpensive technique for tracheal intubation in the emergency department. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 36(1), 122-127.
- Flexible laryngoscopies can be used for several medical-conditions like checking for foreign bodies, chronic cough, or difficulty swallowing, all of which are related to health-and-wellness.
- As an alternative to flexible laryngoscopy, videolaryngoscopy uses a small camera inserted via the mouth or nose to provide a view of the larynx and surrounding structures, which is one of the surgical procedures in the field of science.
- Before a flexible laryngoscopy, it is important to inform the doctor about any medical-conditions, medications, or supplements, including known allergies to medications, as these can affect the therapies-and-treatments during and after the procedure.
