European journal of anaesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Distance from the glottis to the grille: the LMA Unique, Air-Q and CobraPLA as intubation conduits: A prospective, randomised trial.
Supraglottic airway devices are often used in airway management to facilitate tracheal intubation. Knowledge of the distance from the grille of the device to the patient's vocal cords is essential for the safe passage of the tracheal tube below the vocal cords. ⋯ Using the LMA Unique as a conduit for tracheal intubation may pose a safety risk, whereas the use of the Air-Q would position the tracheal tube at a safe depth in the trachea.
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Multicenter Study
Collaborative intervention to improve airway assessment and safety in management for anaesthesia: The Qualitat & Via Aèria (QUAVA) study.
Airway assessment and management are cornerstones of anaesthesia, yet airway complications remain an important source of morbidity. ⋯ The collaborative intervention was effective in improving airway assessment but not in changing difficult airway management practices.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of Aintree and Fastrach techniques for low-skill fibreoptic intubation in patients at risk of secondary cervical injury: A randomised controlled trial.
We compared two methods of asleep fibreoptic intubation in patients at risk of secondary cervical injury: the Aintree Intubation Catheter via a classic laryngeal mask airway (cLMA) versus the Fastrach technique via the intubating laryngeal mask airway (iLMA). ⋯ Fibreoptic intubation using the Aintree system was more successful than the Fastrach technique in our population of patients in a neutral position wearing a soft cervical collar. The differences in the time to successful intubation between the two groups are unlikely to be clinically relevant.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Tracheal intubation with a flexible fibreoptic scope or the McGrath videolaryngoscope in simulated difficult airway scenarios: A manikin study.
Flexible fibreoptic endoscopic (FFE) intubation is considered the 'gold-standard' when difficult airway management is anticipated. Several videolaryngoscopes have been developed to facilitate intubation by laryngoscopy. ⋯ The McGrath videolaryngoscope is a valuable device with higher success rate and a quicker performance in simulated difficult airways. In patients, videolaryngoscopy may have a role in difficult airway algorithms, but the optimal device has yet to be found.
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Observational Study
Airway management in a bronchoscopic simulator based setting: An observational study.
Several simulation-based possibilities for training flexible optical intubation have been developed, ranging from non-anatomical phantoms to high-fidelity virtual reality simulators. These teaching devices might also be used to assess the competence of trainees before allowing them to practice on patients. ⋯ The increase in mean score is a learning effect indicating that simulator training allows for entry of the learning curve at a higher level. The anaesthetists in our study agreed completely that simulation-based training was useful regardless of the fidelity of the simulator. Local, practical issues such as cost and portability should decide available simulation modalities in each teaching hospital.