The patency of the airway via each upper airway orifice during general anesthesia.

The patency of the airway via each orifice was examined during general anesthesia in 112 patients by occluding other orifices in order to develop a method in which fiberoptic endotracheal intubation (FEI) and ventilation could be performed via different orifices. Ventilation was well maintained via the mouth in 61 (54.5%), via bilateral nostrils in 87 (77.7%), and via the unilateral right and left nostril in 67 (59.8%) and 73 (65.2%) patients, respectively. With the aid of an artificial airway, ventilation was well maintained via the mouth in 112 (100.0%), via bilateral nostrils in 111 (99.1%), and via the unilateral right and left nostril in 106 (94.6%) and 105 (93.8%) patients, respectively. Based on these findings, we developed a method in which FEI is performed via the nostril, while ventilation is performed with a mask applied over only the mouth.