Fiber-optic bronchoscopic guidance for intubating a neonate with Pierre-Robin syndrome.

The Pierre-Robin anomalad features micrognathia, glossoptosis, and frequently a cleft palate. Tracheal intubation may be challenging and sometimes impossible. Reported is a case in which a tracheal guide wire was passed via the suction port of a flexible pediatric bronchoscope. The bronchoscope was then removed, and an endotracheal tube was threaded over the wire. The technique is safe and allows rapid endotracheal intubation in pediatric patients with difficult upper airways.