Does the Use of the GlideRite® Endotracheal Tube in Combination With the I-gel® Improve Intubation Success Rate?

Overview

The investigators aim to compare two different types of supraglottic devices for tracheal intubation in patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. The investigators hypothesis is that the use of the I-gel® supraglottic airway device associated with a GlideRite® endotracheal tube will result in an equal success rate of fiberoptic tracheal intubation when compared to the LMA-Fastrach® associated with a GlideRite® endotracheal tube. Time to intubate with the I-gel® device should also be shorter.

Supraglottic airway devices such as LMA-Fastrach® and I-gel® provide patent airways during general anesthesia. The LMA-Fastrach® is designed to provide a conduit for blind or fiberscopically guided tracheal intubations. However, the success rate of tracheal intubation on the first attempt through this device varies between 50 and 87%. The I-gel® is a newer device for airway management which, with its wide bore, allows direct passage of a tracheal tube. Recent studies suggest that the I-gel® is easy to insert and that limited experience is needed before a high success insertion rate is obtained. A recent study conducted in our center compared the LMA-Fastrach® to the I-gel® supraglottic airway device. Our results showed a lower success intubation rate in the I-gel® group. We noticed that there was a tendency for the endotracheal tube to impinge on the posterior and lateral aspect of the larynx. The endotracheal tube used for intubation in our study was a standard polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tube. We believe that an endotracheal tube with a flexible tip(GlideRite®) would increase the intubation success rate through the I-gel® device. However, based on our clinical experience with the GlideRite® tube, blind tracheal intubation through the I-gel® airway device may be associated with a low success rate related to a lack of rigidity of its tip. Its use in combination with a fibrescope could compensate for this weakness. A recent study performed on mannequins showed a comparable success intubation rate of 99% for the I-gel® and LMA-Fastrach® when associated to a fibrescope. In this prospective randomized study, we will compare the performance of the LMA-Fastrach® and the I-gel® associated with a GlideRite® endotracheal tube for fiberoptic tracheal intubation in patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia.