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Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by increased sensitivity to irritating stimuli. Inflammatory episodes obstruct airflow due to bronchospasm, airway edema, bronchial smooth muscle contraction, and mucus plugs, leading to recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. The inflammatory episodes also lead to lung hyperinflation, increased work of breathing, and ventilation–perfusion mismatch. A hallmark of asthma is that the inflammatory episodes are reversible.
Stridor is noisy inspiration from turbulent gas flow in the upper airway. This chapter discusses the use of Heliox for temporarily treating stridor in the setting of ENT pathology. Stridor has many potential causes. It may occur as a result of foreign bodies, tumor formation, infections, subglottic stenosis, and airway edema, as well as a result of laryngomalacia, subglottic hemangioma, and vascular rings compressing the trachea. Stridor is usually diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and physical examination, with a view to revealing the underlying problem or condition. Chest and neck X-rays, CT scans, and/or MRIs may reveal structural pathology. Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy can also be very helpful, especially in assessing vocal cord function or in looking for signs of compression or infection. Heliox administered with a nonrebreathing face mask should be readily available in every operating room suite to assist in the treatment of stridor.
Heliox, a mixture of helium and oxygen, was used by Barach in New York for the first time in the treatment of asthma and upper airway obstruction after its introduction to deep sea diving. Since then it has been used not only as a rescue medication in emergency situations for spontaneously breathing patients with airway obstruction but also as the driving gas for mechanical ventilators. The increasing interest in heliox is indicated by the rising number of publications in recent years. This chapter outlines the theoretical considerations, the application of heliox in non-intubated (e.g. with upper and lower airway obstruction) as well as in ventilated patients followed by a brief overview of potential risks and cost considerations. Future developments focus on ways to routinely apply heliox during mechanical ventilation, for example, as a commercially available add-on feature to conventional ventilators.
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