Objective: Report a novel technique of flexible endoscopy (FE) with noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and sustained pharyngeal inflation (FE-NIV-SPI) in assessing aeroesophageal tracts (AET) to facilitate early detect laryngeal clefts (LC). Methods: Medical charts and FE videos of the children who were diagnosed as LC in a tertiary care hospital between 2000 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. FE-NIV-SPI technique was applied for all the reviewed children. Results: Of all the FE videos reviewed, twelve infants with laryngeal clefts were collected. This equates to a prevalence of 0.28% in all the children underwent FE at our institution. Their mean age was 5.0 ± 4.9 month-old and the mean body weight was 4.7 ± 2.3 kg. Nine (75%) infants were referred in without LC diagnosis, which was missed by 11 prior bronchoscopy and 5 computer tomography exams. With FE-NIV-SPI, the pharyngolaryngeal space could be pneumatically expanded and allowed detailed assessment. All LC types and coexisted AET lesions were visualized at the first FE-NIV-SPI examination with a mean time of 4.2 ± 0.9 minutes. They were eight type I, two type II and one type III. Ten (83.3%) infants coexisted airway malacia. Conclusion: Routinely using the FE-NIV-SPI technique can help detect the LC defect and associated AET lesions at the first assessment.

Objectives Flexible endoscopy (FE) assessed the whole approachable aeroesophageal (AE) tracks and changes of management in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD). Methods A 10 years (2011-2020) retrospective study of sBPD infants who had FE with and without artificial airway in AE tracks. FE with noninvasive ventilation (FE-NIV) of pharyngeal oxygen with nose-close and abdomen-compression was supported. Data of found pathologies, changes of consequent management and therapeutic interventions were collected and analyzed. Results Total 42 infants enrolled. Two scopes of 1.8mm and 2.6mm were used. FE revealed 129 AE pathologies in 38 (90.5%) infants. Twenty-eight (66.7%) infants detected more than one lesion. In 35 (83.3%) infants with 111 airway lesions, bronchial granulations (28, 25.2%), tracheomalacia (18, 16.2%) and bronchial granulations (15, 13.5%) were the leadings. Fifteen (35.7%) infants had 18 esophageal lesions. No significant FE-NIV complication noted. FE findings resulted consequent changes of management in all 38 infants. Thirty-six (85.7%) infants involved respiratory care of pressure titrations (29, 45.3%), shorten suctioning depth (17, 26.6%), changed endotracheal or tracheostomy tube depth (10, 15.6%) and extubation (8, 12.5%). Twenty-one (50%) infants had 50 medication changes included add steroids, anti-reflux medicine, antibiotics and stop antibiotics. Eighteen (42.8%) infants had received 37 therapeutic FE-NIV procedures which included 14 balloon dilatation, 13 laser-plasty and 10 stent implantations. Seven (16.7%) infants had surgeries included 4 tracheostomies and 3 fundoplications. Conclusion FE-NIV can be a safe and valuable modality for direct visual assessment of AE pathologies which contributed subsequent changes of clinical management in sBPD infants.

OBJECTIVE: Sustained pharyngeal inflation (SPI) with pharyngeal oxygen and nose-close (PhO2-NC) can create positive peak inflation pressure (PIP) inside the pharyngolaryngeal space (PLS). This study measured and compared effects of four different SPI durations in the PLS. METHOD: In this prospective observational study, 20 consecutive infants aged less than 3 years, scheduled for elective flexible-bronchoscopy were enrolled. SPI was performed twice in four different durations (0, 1, 3 and 5 seconds) sequentially in each infant. PIP was measured for each SPI in the pharynx, and simultaneously took images at two locations of oropharynx and supra-larynx. Infants’ demographic details and PIP levels, lumen expansion scores and images of PLS were measured and analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty infants with 40 measurements were collected. The mean (SD) age and weight were 11.6 (9.1) months and 6.8 (2.4) kg, respectively. The measured mean (SD) pharyngeal PIPs were 4.1 (3.3), 21.9 (7.0), 42.2 (12.3) and 65.5 (18.5) cm H2O at SPI duration of 0, 1, 3 and 5 seconds, respectively; which showed significant positive association (p<0.001). At assigned locations, the corresponding PLS images also show significant increase in lumen expansion scores and number of detected lesions with increase in SPI duration (p<0.001). The mean (SD) study time was 5.7 (1.2) minutes. No study related complication was noted. CONCLUSIONS: SPI with PhO2-NC up to 5 seconds is a simple, safe and feasible clinical ventilation modality. It may provide enough PIP to expand the PLS and facilitate flexible-bronchoscopy performance in infants.

Sustained pharyngeal inflation (SPI) with pharyngeal oxygen and nose-close (PhO2-NC) can create positive inflation pressure (PIP) inside the pharyngolaryngeal space (PLS). This study measured and compared effects of different SPI durations in the PLS. Method: A one-year prospective study, 20 consequent infants whose age less than 3-year-old and scheduled for elective FB were enrolled. SPI performed in four different durations (0.0, 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 seconds) consequently. Each infant did two cycles of SPI. Measured the PIP of each SPI in the pharynx, and simultaneously took images at three locations of oropharynx, supra-larynx and larynx. Data of infant’s demographics, PIP levels, space expansion scores and images were collected and analyzed. Results: Total 20 studied infants, the mean (SD) age was 11.6 (9.1) month-old, the mean (SD) body weight was 6. 8 (2.4) kg and the mean (SD) study time was 3.8 (1.1) minutes. The measured mean (SD) pharyngeal PIPs were 4.1 (3.3), 21.9 (7.0), 42.2 (12.3) and 65.5 (18.5) cmH2O at SPI duration of 0.0, 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 seconds, respectively. Which showed positively and significantly (p<0.001) correlations. At these assigned locations, the corresponding PLS images also show significant lumen expansion correlated with the PIP. Especially, when there existed pathologic or occult lesions. No any study related complication was noted. Conclusions: SPI with PhO2-NC up to 5 seconds is a simple, safe and feasible clinical ventilation modality. Which could provide enough PIP to expand the PLS and benefit FB performance in infants.