BACKGROUND The use of videolaryngoscopes is recommended as a part of routine practice in anaesthesia for morbidly obese patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate C-Mac in a group of morbidly obese patients to see if it improves intubation conditions. METHODS 86 morbidly obese (BMI > 40 kg m⁻²) patients scheduled for bariatric surgery were included in the study. In every studied case, C-...

We report the successful use of the Airtraq as a rescue device following failed direct laryngoscopy, in patients deemed at increased risk for difficult tracheal intubation. In a series of seven patients, repeated attempts at direct laryngoscopy with the Macintosh blade, and the use of manoeuvres to aid intubation, such as the gum elastic bougie placement, were unsuccessful. In contrast, with th...

It has been suggested that the size of the base of the tongue is an important factor determining the degree of difficulty of direct laryngoscopy. A relatively simple grading system which involves preoperative ability to visualize the faucial pillars, soft palate and base of uvula was designed as a means of predicting the degree of difficulty in laryngeal exposure. The system was evaluated in 21...

An 87-year-old man had an 8-month history of hoarseness, respiratory distress, and dysphagia. Physical examination, including direct laryngoscopy, revealed a mass on the right anterolateral side of the neck and a submucosal mass of the supraglottic larynx. A contrast-enhanced CT scan showed a more superior cystic mass, a laryngopyocele resulting from a more inferior, solid-appearing and obstruc...

BACKGROUND To potentially optimize intubation skill teaching in an American Heart Association® Airway Management Course® for novices, we investigated the transfer of skills from video laryngoscopy to direct laryngoscopy and vice versa using King Vision® and Macintosh blade laryngoscopes respectively. METHODS Ninety volunteers (medical students, residents and staff physicians) without prior in...

Difficult intubation has been the challenging part of the airway management for anesthesiologists and associated with substantial morbidity and mortality (1, 2). Currently, it is well practiced and documented that direct laryngoscopy has several limitations to cope with securing difficult airway during orotracheal intubation (3). Videolaryngoscopy, which may provide a better view of the trachea...

Intubation is one of the basic procedures of anesthesia. The reported frequency of difficult intubations is between 1.5% and 13%, which is a problem that requires a prompt solution. Although the likelihood of a difficult intubation can be estimated from preoperative measurements and scoring systems, obtaining direct access to the glottis during preoperative direct laryngoscopy can be difficult....