Dr. Amany Nagah Fekry Khedr :: Publications:

The maintenance of a patent airway is one of the fundamental responsibilities of every anesthesiologist. Difficult intubation is responsible for a large proportion of anesthesia-related complications that may result in permanent disability or even death. When an airway problem is encountered, anesthesiologist should use the technique that he is most familiar or experienced with to gain control of the situation. (Henderson JJ, et al; 2004) During routine anaesthesia the incidence of difficult tracheal intubation has been estimated to be 3-18%. Generally, failed tracheal intubation occurs once in every 2230 attempts. For the average anesthesiologist in the United States, that represents one failed intubation every other year. The incidence is small, but the potential consequences of difficult airway management are of major importance, Sometimes there is difficult situation that can face the anesthologist which is cannot intubate cannot ventilate which is very dangerous and can lead to death, The introduction of the Supraglottic airway devices is considered a solution to this problem which helps not only to maintain ventilation but also can be a tunnel that facilitates the tracheal intubation. ( Megha U et al; 2013) Supraglottic Airway Devices are devices that ventilate patients by delivering anesthetic gases/ oxygen above the level of the vocal cords and are designed to overcome the disadvantages of endotracheal intubation as: soft tissue, tooth, vocal cords, laryngeal and tracheal damage, exaggerated hemodynamic response, barotrauma, etc. The advantages of the Supraglottic airway devices include: avoidance of laryngoscopy, less invasive for the respiratory tract, better tolerated by patients, increased ease of placement, improved hemodynamic stability in emergence, less coughing, less sore throat, hands free airway and easier placement by inexperienced personal. The American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Task Force on Management of the Difficult Airway suggests considering the use of the Supraglottic airway devices when intubation problems occur in patients with a previously unrecognized difficult airway, especially in a “cannot ventilate, cannot intubate” situation.