The Anaesthetic Management of a Compromised Airway Secondary to Lemierre’s Syndrome

Lemierre’s syndrome is a life threatening soft tissue infection of the neck. We describe the anaesthetic management of a patient presenting with a compromised airway due to severe soft tissue swelling associated with Lemierre’s syndrome. In this case, preoperative computed tomography and nasal endoscopy delineated the anatomy. The otolaryngology team were prepared for an airway emergency. High flow humidified nasal oxygen maximised oxygenation during awake fibreoptic intubation and the time available for rescue tracheostomy if required