Use of the intubating laryngeal mask airway in pre-hospital care: a case report.
In trauma management, the importance of early and effective control of the airway is acknowledged universally. Attention to the airway is particularly vital when a casualty has sustained serious head or facial injuries. A cuffed tracheal tube has generally been regarded as the airway adjunct of choice in such cases. However, the attempted insertion of a tracheal tube under direct laryngoscopy is associated with a number of practical problems in pre-hospital trauma care. A case is described in which the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA or LMA-Fastrach) was used successfully in the pre-hospital setting to secure the airway of a patient who had sustained serious head and facial injuries in a road traffic collision. The indications for the use of the ILMA in pre-hospital care are discussed.
Mason
A M
AM
Suffolk Accident Rescue Service, Turret House, Turret Lane, Suffolk IP4 1DL, Ipswich, UK. ammason@tesco.net
D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000628:therapy; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged