A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Medicine in the Field of Emergency Medicine in the Division of Emergency Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand / Introduction: Control over the patient bears time-critical importance in emergency medicine. In the entrapment situation after a Motor Vehicle Collision (MVC), emergency care including airway management may need to be initiated before extrication and thus with restricted access. Objective: This manikin study aimed at answering the question of which advanced airway device can be inserted the fastest and most reliably by paramedics in the simulated entrapped patient. Methods: Paramedics were asked to insert four airway devices (endotracheal tube with the Macintosh laryngoscope, endotracheal tube with the Airtraq® optical laryngoscope, Laryngeal Mask Airway - SupremeTM, and Laryngeal Tube Suction - DisposableTM) in randomised order into a manikin seated in the driver seat of a light motor vehicle. Time to first successful ventilation and number of attempts required for successful insertion were measured. Following each insertion, participants were asked by means of a questionnaire to rate the degree of insertion difficulty (scale 1 – 10) and provide reasons for this rating. Finally, participants were asked which device they preferred and why. Results: Prospectively collected data from 26 paramedics were analysed. The LMA-SupremeTM had the shortest mean time to first successful ventilation (16.7 seconds (CI [0.95]; 14.9 - 18.6)), followed by the LTS-DTM (19.4 seconds (CI [0.95]; 18.0 - 20.8)), ETI using the Macintosh laryngoscope (37.7 seconds (CI [0.95]; 31.8 - 43.5)) and ETI using the Airtraq® (41.2 seconds (CI [0.95]; 36.7 - 45.6)). Both face-to-face ETI with the Macintosh laryngoscope and the insertion of the LMA-SupremeTM had 100% first-attempt success. Five participants required a second attempt to successfully intubate the manikin using the Airtraq® and one participant had to re-insert the LTS-DTM for correct placement. In terms of insertion difficulty, the LMA-SupremeTM received the lowest mean score (1.7/10 (CI [0.95]; 1.2 - 2.1)) followed by the LTS-DTM (2.5/10 (CI [0.95]; 1.8 – 3.2)), face-to-face ETI using the Macintosh laryngoscope (3.7/10 (CI [0.95]; 2.9 - 4.5)), and ETI with the Airtraq® (4.5/10 (CI [0.95]; 3.7 - 5.3)). Most participants chose the Macintosh laryngoscope for ETI as their preferred device (10/26; 38%) followed closely by the LMA-SupremeTM (9/26; 35%). These participants stated clinical experience and ease of insertion respectively as the primary reasons for their preference. Conclusion: Besides ETI, Supraglottic Airway Devices are beneficial alternative airway devices to be considered by paramedics in the entrapped patient after a MVC. The LMA-SupremeTM was the fastest and least difficult airway device to insert. Face-to-face endotracheal intubation with the Macintosh laryngoscope remains an important definitive airway that was shown to be performed competently by participating paramedics. The Airtraq® can be used for face-to-face ETI and enables improved laryngoscopy.

Introdução: A desobstrução rinofaríngea retrógrada (DRR) é uma técnica de fisioterapia respiratória aplicada em lactentes para desobstrução de vias aéreas superiores, podendo, inclusive, ser associada à irrigação nasal com salina isotônica para remoção de muco viscoso aderido às paredes das vias aéreas. Objetivo: Caracterizar o perfil de motociclistas profissionais expostos à poluição urbana no que se refere a transporte mucociliar nasal (TMCN), inflamação das vias aéreas superiores e sintomas nasais, e comparar o efeito da DRR isolada e associada à instilação de salina isotônica (DRR+S) nesta população. Métodos: Vinte e quatro voluntários divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos (DRR e DRR+S) submeteram-se a 15 dias consecutivos de tratamento. A avaliação basal e a pós-intervenção constituíram-se da análise do teste de trânsito da sacarina, da celularidade total e diferencial do lavado nasal e dos sintomas de vias aéreas superiores por meio do questionário SNOT-20, bem como do estudo da exposição pessoal à poluição do ar, por meio da análise da concentração do NO2 de amostradores passivos. O TMCN foi avaliado pelo teste ANOVA não paramétrico com medidas repetidas e o SNOT-20 pelo teste Mann-Whitney. As correlações entre a concentração de NO2 e os desfechos das vias aéreas superiores foram testadas por meio do coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Resultados: Os grupos apresentaram dados clínicos e demográficos semelhantes. O TMCN apresentou-se alterado em 25% dos voluntários e 100% deles apresentavam sintomas de vias aéreas superiores. Após os tratamentos, os sintomas de vias aéreas e o TMCN evidenciaram melhora significativa, apesar do aumento no número de macrófagos e células ciliadas do lavado nasal. Não houve correlação entre o NO2 e o TMCN, tampouco em relação aos sintomas de vias aéreas superiores. CONCLUSÃO: Técnicas não farmacológicas, simples e de baixo custo são efetivas para recuperar o TMCN alterado e melhorar os sintomas de vias aéreas superiores em adultos não tabagistas / Introduction: Rhinopharyngeal Retrograde Clearance (RRC) is a respiratory therapy technique applied to infants with upper airway obstruction that may also be associated with nasal irrigation with isotonic saline for removal of viscous mucus adhered to the walls of the airways. OBJECTIVE: Characterize the profile of professional motorcycles exposed to urban pollution in relation to the nasal mucociliary transport (NMCT), inflammation of the upper airways and nasal symptoms and compare the effect of DRR alone and associated with instillation of isotonic saline (RCC + S). Methods: Twenty-four volunteers were randomly divided into two groups (RCC and RCC + S) and were submitted to 15 consecutive days of treatment. The baseline and post-intervention consisted of analysis of the transit saccharin test, the total and differential cellularity nasal lavage, and symptoms of upper airway through the SNOT-20, as well as the study of personal exposure to air pollution, by analyzing the concentration of diffuse nitrogen dioxide monitoring system. The NMCT was evaluated with ANOVA for repeated measures and the SNOT-20 with the Mann-Whitney test. The correlations between the concentration of NO2 and the upper airway outcomes were tested using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: The groups showed similar demographic and clinical data. The NMCT was abnormal in 25% of the volunteers and 100% of the volunteers had symptoms of upper airways. After treatment the upper airway symptoms and the NMCT showed significant improvement despite the increase in the number of macrophages and ciliated cells on the nasal lavage. No correlation was observed between dioxide nitrogen and TMCN and with the symptoms of the upper airways. Conclusion: Nonpharmacological, simple and inexpensive techniques are effective to treat abnormal NMCT and improve symptoms of upper airway in nonsmoking adults

Introdução: A desobstrução rinofaríngea retrógrada (DRR) é uma técnica de fisioterapia respiratória aplicada em lactentes para desobstrução de vias aéreas superiores, podendo, inclusive, ser associada à irrigação nasal com salina isotônica para remoção de muco viscoso aderido às paredes das vias aéreas. Objetivo: Caracterizar o perfil de motociclistas profissionais expostos à poluição urbana no que se refere a transporte mucociliar nasal (TMCN), inflamação das vias aéreas superiores e sintomas nasais, e comparar o efeito da DRR isolada e associada à instilação de salina isotônica (DRR+S) nesta população. Métodos: Vinte e quatro voluntários divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos (DRR e DRR+S) submeteram-se a 15 dias consecutivos de tratamento. A avaliação basal e a pós-intervenção constituíram-se da análise do teste de trânsito da sacarina, da celularidade total e diferencial do lavado nasal e dos sintomas de vias aéreas superiores por meio do questionário SNOT-20, bem como do estudo da exposição pessoal à poluição do ar, por meio da análise da concentração do NO2 de amostradores passivos. O TMCN foi avaliado pelo teste ANOVA não paramétrico com medidas repetidas e o SNOT-20 pelo teste Mann-Whitney. As correlações entre a concentração de NO2 e os desfechos das vias aéreas superiores foram testadas por meio do coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Resultados: Os grupos apresentaram dados clínicos e demográficos semelhantes. O TMCN apresentou-se alterado em 25% dos voluntários e 100% deles apresentavam sintomas de vias aéreas superiores. Após os tratamentos, os sintomas de vias aéreas e o TMCN evidenciaram melhora significativa, apesar do aumento no número de macrófagos e células ciliadas do lavado nasal. Não houve correlação entre o NO2 e o TMCN, tampouco em relação aos sintomas de vias aéreas superiores. CONCLUSÃO: Técnicas não farmacológicas, simples e de baixo custo são efetivas para recuperar o TMCN alterado e melhorar os sintomas de vias aéreas superiores em adultos não tabagistas / Introduction: Rhinopharyngeal Retrograde Clearance (RRC) is a respiratory therapy technique applied to infants with upper airway obstruction that may also be associated with nasal irrigation with isotonic saline for removal of viscous mucus adhered to the walls of the airways. OBJECTIVE: Characterize the profile of professional motorcycles exposed to urban pollution in relation to the nasal mucociliary transport (NMCT), inflammation of the upper airways and nasal symptoms and compare the effect of DRR alone and associated with instillation of isotonic saline (RCC + S). Methods: Twenty-four volunteers were randomly divided into two groups (RCC and RCC + S) and were submitted to 15 consecutive days of treatment. The baseline and post-intervention consisted of analysis of the transit saccharin test, the total and differential cellularity nasal lavage, and symptoms of upper airway through the SNOT-20, as well as the study of personal exposure to air pollution, by analyzing the concentration of diffuse nitrogen dioxide monitoring system. The NMCT was evaluated with ANOVA for repeated measures and the SNOT-20 with the Mann-Whitney test. The correlations between the concentration of NO2 and the upper airway outcomes were tested using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: The groups showed similar demographic and clinical data. The NMCT was abnormal in 25% of the volunteers and 100% of the volunteers had symptoms of upper airways. After treatment the upper airway symptoms and the NMCT showed significant improvement despite the increase in the number of macrophages and ciliated cells on the nasal lavage. No correlation was observed between dioxide nitrogen and TMCN and with the symptoms of the upper airways. Conclusion: Nonpharmacological, simple and inexpensive techniques are effective to treat abnormal NMCT and improve symptoms of upper airway in nonsmoking adults