New techniques and devices for difficult airway management

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to compare old conventional techniques and devices for difficult airway management and new sophisticated techniques and devices. Recent techniques and devices are defined as the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) practice guidelines for the management of difficult airway, published in 1992, reviewed in 1993 and updated in 2003. According to ASA, the techniques for difficult airway management are divided into techniques for difficult intubation and techniques for difficult ventilation. Awake fiberoptic intubation is the technique of choice for difficult airway management prescribed by the World Health Organization document for patient safety in the operating theater. Conventional techniques for intubation used direct visualization. The new generation of devices does not require direct visualization of the vocal cords for endotracheal tube placement. They allow better glottis view and successful endotracheal placement of the tube with indirect laryngoscopy. New intubation devices such as video laryngoscopes facilitate endotracheal intubation by indirect visualization of glottis structures without aligning the oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal axes in patients with cervical spine abnormality. Video laryngoscopes such as V-Mac and C-Mac, Glide scope, McGrath, Airway Scope, Airtraq, Bonfils and Bullard laryngoscope are widely available at the market. Airway gadgets are lighted stylets and endotracheal tube guides. The principal conclusion of this review is that utilization of these devices can be easily learned. The technique of indirect laryngoscopy is currently used for managing difficult airway in the operating room as well as for securing the airway in daily anesthesia routine.