Laryngeal mucociliary transport: normal values and under the influence of anesthetics. An experimental study in rabbits.
The larynx is the point of confluence of all tracheobronchial secretions and of the particles trapped within them. A study is made of laryngeal mucociliary transport using charcoal particles in 8 anesthetized rabbits and in 8 more during the immediate postmortem period. Most secretions were found to reach the posterior commissure, and were then swallowed. In the immediate postmortem rabbits, mucociliary transport velocity was 3.59 +/- 1.23 mm/min., with a transport time of 4.62 +/- 1.5 min. In the 8 rabbits anesthetized with droperidol, diazepam and thiobarbital, transport was found to be significantly slowed (p = 0.001).