[Lateral Approach Tracheal Intubation in a Semi-sitting Position Utilizing a Videolaryngoscope in a Patient with Respiratory Failure due to Septic Shock].

Here we report our success in performing lateral approach tracheal intubation in a patient with severe respiratory failure due to septic shock caused by shoulder joint abscess. A 71-year-old woman presented with severe respiratory difficulty due to sepsis from a shoulder joint abscess and was scheduled for emergent drainage and irrigation. She could not breathe sufficiently in the supine position and thus maintained a semi-sitting position. She was also unable to move from the ward bed to the operating table due to severe shoulder pain. We induced anesthesia in a semi-sitting position in the ward bed. Mask ventilation was performed using the two-hand technique from the lateral approach. Tracheal intubation was also performed with a left lateral approach utilizing the Pentax-AWS Airwayscope (AWS). Lateral approach for tracheal intubation utilizing AWS may be useful in patients who present with severe respiratory difficulty.