airQ intubating laryngeal airway: An alternative to intubating laryngeal mask airway for fiberoptic guided intubation in neutral head position
Aastha Gupta, Neerja Banerjee, Archana Khokar, Nidhi Pathak, Namita Saraswat, Rutajeet ChatterjeeABSTRACT
Background:
Intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) is a time-tested device useful in situations demanding a neutral head position (difficult airway), whereas airQ intubating laryngeal airway (airQ ILA) is a newer device. A prospective randomized study was conducted to compare the efficacy of airQ ILA with ILMA, as a ventilating device and as a conduit for fiberoptic bronchoscope-guided intubation, in a neutral head position.
Methodology:
airQ ILA and ILMA were inserted in the respective groups of 40 patients each. After confirmation of adequate ventilation, fiberoptic bronchoscope-guided tracheal intubation was performed via the respective supraglottic airway (SGA) device. The number of attempts and time taken for SGA device placement, glottic view, number of attempts, and time taken for tracheal intubation were recorded. Incidence of postoperative complications was also noted.
Results:
Seventy percent of patients in the airQ ILA group and 62.5% of patients in the ILMA group had Brimacombe grade 4 glottic view through an SGA device. Ninety percent of patients were intubated using airQ ILA in the first attempt compared to 87.5% of patients in the ILMA group. There was no statistically significant difference among the groups (
Conclusions:
airQ ILA is as simple, safe, and efficacious as time-tested ILMA. It can be used as an alternative to ILMA for ventilation and as a conduit for fiberoptic bronchoscope-guided intubation in a neutral head position.