CR#31 Airtraq optical laryngoscope: initial clinical experience in 20 children

Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists 2009, DOI 10.1007/s00540-009-0828-2

Yoshihiro Hirabayashi, Jichi medical University, Japan

Endotracheal intubation using the Airtraq  was always successful.
Case 5 was a patient with Treacher Collins syndrome,.A malleable stylet  facilitated introduction of the tube tip into the tracheal inlet on the second attempt, resulting in successful intubation.
Case 12 required two maneuvers to align the tube tip with glottic opening.
Case 19 had a large cleft lip and palate and the Macintosh laryngoscope failed to expose the glottis. 
Intubation was performed by the infant Airtraq after two failed attempts. The Airtraq is likely to provide advantages in glottic exposure, even in children with high and anterior-positioned glottis.
The Airtraq seems a safe and beneficial device for tracheal intubation in young children.

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