• F Hammarskjöld, G Lindskog, and P Blomqvist.
• Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden.
• Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 1999 Jul 1;43(6):634-6.

BackgroundDifferent ways of managing the difficult airway is an important issue for the anaesthetist. We have investigated a technique with a see-through-bougie and laryngeal mask for intubation.MethodsWe report our experience with intubation of 30 patients using a see-through-bougie guided through a laryngeal mask with a fibreoptic bronchoscope. The bougie is then used as a guidance for a tracheal tube.ResultsIn 29 of the 30 investigated patients, this method could be used. In one patient the method had to be abandoned because of a tortuous trachea. Seventeen patients were intubated within 2 min, 11 between 2 and 5 min and 1 required 10 min. The time was mainly dependent on the endoscopic experience of the anaesthetist. No patient sustained arterial desaturation.ConclusionWe conclude that intubation using a see-through-bougie and a laryngeal mask is a valuable method in the difficult intubation situation, when a temporary airway can be achieved with laryngeal mask, since it permits continuous ventilation and visual control throughout the procedure.

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