• Payal Kajekar, Cyprian Mendonca, Rati Danha, and Carl Hillermann.
• Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry, CV2 2DX, United Kingdom.
• Indian J Anaesth. 2014 Jul 1;58(4):447-51.

Background And AimsPentax airway scope (AWS) has been successfully used for managing difficult intubations. In this case series, we aimed to evaluate the success rate and time taken to complete intubation, when AWS was used for awake tracheal intubation.MethodsWe prospectively evaluated the use of AWS for awake tracheal intubation in 30 patients. Indication for awake intubation, intubation time, total time to complete tracheal intubation, laryngoscopic view (Cormack and Lehane grade), total dose of local anaesthetic used, anaesthetists rating and patient's tolerance of the procedure were recorded.ResultsThe procedure was successful in 25 out of the 30 patients (83%). The mean (standard deviation) intubation time and total time to complete the tracheal intubation was 5.4 (2.4) and 13.9 (3.7) min, respectively in successful cases. The laryngeal view was grade 1 in 24 and grade 2 in one of 25 successful intubations. In three out of the five patients where the AWS failed, awake tracheal intubation was successfully completed with the assistance of flexible fibre optic scope (FOS).ConclusionAwake tracheal intubation using AWS was successful in 83% of patients. Success rate can be further improved using a combination of AWS and FOS. Anaesthesiologists who do not routinely use FOS may find AWS easier to use for awake tracheal intubation using an oral route.

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