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Project Overview
Laryngospasm is a reflexive response that causes the vocal cords to obstruct the airway for an extended period during surgery. Current treatments involve invasive procedures and medications that can lead to numerous side effects. Our team aims to establish a standard protocol that can quickly and non-invasively break laryngospasms through transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. We have obtained the BioStim NMS2 as our stimulation generator and have conducted tests with various parameters to identify the optimal treatment procedure. So far, we obtained optimal testing results by opening the vocal fold abduction up to 22.61 degrees in holding breath condition, which happened when placing 2 big leads on trachea (vertical), with pulse rate of 60Hz and pulse width of 100 us. As we continue to gather data from volunteers, our next step involves assessing the performance of animal models, in which we can intentionally induce laryngospasm for further evaluation.
What is Laryngospasm?
Involuntary contractions of the laryngeal muscles, resulting in airway obstruction.
These spasms frequently occur during surgery, particularly during anesthesia induction and extubation.
Laryngospasms can lead to severe complications, including hypoxia, hypercapnia, bronchospasm, pulmonary edema, and arrhythmia.
Significant morbidity has been reported, with hypoxemia incidents occurring in 61% of cases, bradycardia in 6% of cases (23% for patients less than 1 year of age), and other complications.
Current Methods
Deepening Anesthesia:
IV or inhalational anesthetics
Positive Pressure Ventilation:
CPAP or BiPAP
Chemical Intervention:
Muscle relaxants, IV lidocaine, Succinylcholine
Physical Maneuvers:
Larson's Maneuver, Jaw thrust (Most common method)
Invasive Techniques:
Endotracheal intubation, tracheostomy
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