Main theme- Airway
Introduction
Joint paediatric airway assessment involving ENT and Respiratory allows the evaluation of airway structure and function in a single anaesthetic episode. This approach reduces repeat procedures, minimises hospital visits and facilitates real-time multidisciplinary decision making, particularly in complex cases. This project aimed to evaluate the indications and outcomes of combined paediatric ENT and Respiratory airway assessment at our tertiary paediatric centre.
Methods
A service evaluation was conducted of patients undergoing flexible bronchoscopy and an ENT procedure, including microlaryngoscopy and bronchoscopy (MLTB) at our unit between August 2025 and May 2026. Patient demographics, indications and procedure findings were analysed.
Results
Sixteen patients (aged 11 months-14 years) underwent flexible bronchoscopy with an additional ENT procedure in the same anaesthetic. Thirteen patients (81.3%) underwent combined MLTB and flexible bronchoscopy, the remainder underwent flexible bronchoscopy combined with other ENT procedures such as adenotonsillectomy and removal of foreign bodies. The common indication for airway assessment was recurrent chest infections in 7 patients (43.7%). Eight procedures were performed as a day case, the remainder requiring inpatient admission. Among the 13 patients undergoing joint MLTB and flexible bronchoscopy, seven patients (53.8%) had normal findings.
Conclusion
Combined paediatric ENT and Respiratory airway assessment is a useful approach for children with complex airway presentations. It reduces the need for multiple anaesthetics and supports multidisciplinary assessment. This model could be considered in future service planning. However, this was a small service evaluation, and a larger retrospective review is needed to assess its impact on patient outcomes.