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Awake intubation of the difficult airway with the intubating laryngeal mask airway
Author(s) -
Shung J.,
Avidan M. S.,
Ing R.,
Klein D. C.,
Pott L.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2044.1998.429-az0533.x
Subject(s) - medicine , anesthesia , sore throat , intubation , sedation , airway , laryngeal masks , tracheal intubation , laryngeal mask airway , laryngoscopy , larynx , airway management , surgery , bronchoscopy
The intubating laryngeal mask airway is a new device that facilitates intubation of the trachea. We assessed its use in 15 awake patients in whom we anticipated difficulty with tracheal intubation; we would otherwise have secured the patients' airways using a fibreoptic bronchoscope. All patients were sedated and had their airways anaesthetised with local anaesthetic. The tracheas of all 15 patients were successfully intubated. The mean time from start of sedation to successful intubation was 10.8 min. The mean time from completion of sedation and airway local anaesthesia to tracheal intubation was 2.8 min. Patients remained haemodynamically stable throughout, peripheral oxygen saturation was maintained and there were no obvious cases of pulmonary aspiration. Most patients complained of sore throat and hoarseness. We have demonstrated through this descriptive study that the intubating laryngeal mask airway may, in certain circumstances, be used as an alternative to the fibreoptic bronchoscope.