Eeshwar Rao Madishetti 1 , Jasvinder Kaur 2 , Rajat Jain 3 , Koteshwara Rao Mukkapati 4
AIMS This study aims to compare endotracheal intubation using the Airtraq with bougie vs. the Airtraq without bougie with respect to: Time for intubation, Ease of intubation, Maneuvers employed to facilitate intubation, Number of attempts. MATERIALS AND METHODS This randomised prospective study was done with Seventy five patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia. 37 patients in group Airtraq (A) and 38 patients in group AB were studied. RESULTS All the demographic details of the patients ASA Physical status and airway parameter are insignificant in both groups, i.e. they are similar. There is no significant differences in the mean inter-incisor distance and the mean Thyro-Mental Distance between the study groups. The distribution of patients according to Modified Mallampati Class in the two groups were similar. When the two groups were compared with respect to the number of patients in each group requiring particular maneuvers to optimise glottic view and facilitate intubation, no statistical difference was observed. However, there was a statistically and clinically significant difference when the two groups were compared with respect to the number of patients requiring various maneuvers to optimise the glottic view to facilitate intubation. Four of seven patients in group Airtraq (A) who had trauma had also required additional maneuvers to facilitate intubation. One of these four had a grade 3 Cormack-Lehane view despite maneuvers and a second attempt was needed in two patients. In our study, trauma was observed more frequently in Airtraq (A) group. Its greater frequency in group Airtraq (A) as compared to Airtraq with bougie (AB) was both statistically and clinically significant. Majority of the patients in group AirtraqTM with bougie (AB) were intubated easily, but proportion did not reach statistical significance when compared with group Airtraq. TM CONCLUSION The Gum Elastic Bougie aids intubation with the Airtraq avoiding the need for repeated attempts. The time required for visualisation of the glottis and intubation when a GEB is used along with the Airtraq is comparable to the time taken when the Airtraq is used alone. Although, the incidence of complications with either technique is not statistically significant, the higher incidence of trauma in group Airtraq (A) is possibly the result of increased manipulation required to obtain optimal intubating conditions as well as additional intubation attempts
