• Amlan Swain, Hemant Bhagat, Vivek Gupta, Pravin Salunke, Nidhi B Panda, and Seelora Sahu.
• Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur.
• J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 2020 Jul 1; 32 (3): 242-248.

BackgroundIn the evolving research into cervical spine mechanics during airway intervention, new devices are being constantly added to the armamentarium of anesthesiologists. In this study we compared cervical spine movement during orotracheal intubation using an intubating laryngeal mask airway (LMA Fastrach) assisted flexible bronchoscope or video laryngoscope.Materials And MethodsIn total, 40 consenting patients without history of abnormalities of cervical spine and planned for elective neuroradiologic interventions in the angiography suite were enrolled in this randomized crossover trial. Every patient was subjected to LMA Fastrach-guided flexible bronchoscopic as well as video laryngoscopy guided intubation. Cervical spine motion at the occipital bone, C1-C5 vertebrae, the occiput-C1, C1-C2, C2-C3 and C4-C5 junctions was investigated using continuous fluoroscopy during intubation. The primary outcome of the study was combined craniocervical motion from occiput to C5 between the 2 intubation techniques.ResultsThere was less (62%) combined craniocervical movement from occiput to C5 during the LMA Fastrach-flexible bronchoscopy-guided technique as compared with video laryngoscopy-guided intubation (17.55±14.23 vs. 28.95±11.58 degrees, respectively; P<0.001). The LMA Fastrach flexible bronchoscopy-guided technique also produced significantly less movement as compared to the video laryngoscope at the occiput-C1 (9.75±8.59 vs. 15.00±10.48 degrees; P=0.000) and C1-C2 level (3.95±7.51 vs. 7.53±9.1 degrees; P=0.003).ConclusionsThere was significantly less movement in the craniocervical and upper cervical spine during LMA Fastrach assisted flexible bronchoscopic intubation compared to video laryngoscopic intubation.

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