Acute upper airway obstruction following Teflon injection of a vocal cord; the value of nebulized adrenaline and a helium/oxygen mixture in its management

Abstract

A 67-year-old man presented with a 45-year history of a week voice. This was result of polio which had left him with a right vocal cord palsy. The patient underwent a Teflon injection of the right vocal cord under general anaesthesia to improve the quality of his voice. In the immediate post-operative period, he suffered acute upper airway obstruction. The problem of acute upper airway obstruction following Teflon injection is considered and its management with nebulized adrenaline and a helium/oxygen mixture is discussed.