CS#27 Awake Intubation with Airtraq Laringoscope in morbidly obese patient with difficult airway

Anaesthesiology Intensive Therapy, 2009,XLI,3; 116-119
Tomasz Gaszynski , Poland

The study was performed in 68 patients; the AirTraq group consisted of 36 and the Macintosh group of 32 patients. BMI values were 43.4±6.8 kg m-2 and 43.3±5.5 kg m-2, respectively. Demographic characteristics of the two groups were comparable.

The intubation time using the AirTraq optical laryngoscope was 29±11 sec and was significantly shorter compared to the Macintosh group – 49±27 sec. The number of additional manoeuvres required for improving visualization of the laryngeal aperture or insertion of the endotracheal tube was over twice lower for the AirTraq device (19% vs 50%). In the Macintosh group, guide-wires were necessary in 14 cases and changes of the blade size (to larger) in two cases There were no traumatic complications following endotracheal intubation observed in either group.

The AirTraq optical laryngoscope enables faster and potentially less traumatic endotracheal intubation in obese patients compared to classical Macintosh laryngoscopy.

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