Nasal Approach to Awake Intubation

A review of 50,000 records found that it was impossible to mask ventilate in only 0.15% of these patients. We often shy away from doing awake intubations and I hear from residents a lot that they don't get experience with this. This approach is also anatomically favorable because the laryngeal opening is more easily seen with the fibroscope as it courses past the nasal pharynx.