Use of the Aintree intubation Catheter® in a patient with an unexpected difficult airway

• Published in: Canadian journal of anesthesia 2005-06, Vol.52 (6), p.646-649
• Main Authors: ZURA, Andrew, DOYLE, D. John, ORLANDI, Marc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Airway management; Anesthesia; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchoscopy; Catheterization - instrumentation; Endoscopy; Fiber Optic Technology; Humans; Intubation; Intubation, Intratracheal - instrumentation; Intubation, Intratracheal - methods; Laryngeal Masks; Laryngoscopes; Male; Medical sciences; Nose - surgery; Nursing
• ISSN: 0832-610X; 1496-8975
• DOI: 10.1007/BF03015778

To present a case where the Aintree intubation catheter (AIC) was used in conjunction with the Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) and a fibreoptic bronchoscope (FOB) in a patient with an unexpected difficult airway. A 38-yr-old 90 kg man scheduled for nasal endoscopy with ethmoidectomy under general anesthesia was found, unexpectedly, to be difficult to intubate using both a Macintosh laryngoscope (#4 blade) and a GlideScope video laryngoscope despite having an airway examination that was unremarkable except for slightly decreased mouth opening and a large tongue. Intubation was achieved by inserting a size 5 disposable LMA into the upper airway, introducing a FOB into an AIC inserting the FOB/AIC assembly into the trachea via the LMA, removing the LMA, and then passing a regular size (7.5 mm) endotracheal tube into the trachea over the AIC. In this patient, the AIC provided an effective alternative to other methods for intubating through a regular LMA.