[Use of Eschmann's gum elastic bougie in difficult orotracheal intubation, an audit over eight years of clinical practice].
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to check on the effectiveness of difficult orotracheal intubation by Eschmann's gum elastic bougie in our institution.


METHODS
Retrospective observation study led for eight years.


METHODS
All the orotracheal intubations during the inductions in the surgical unit of the hospital of Laon were listed from 1998 to 2005, whether they were achieved in a classical way, with a fibrobronchoscope or with Eschmann's gum elastic bougie.


RESULTS
Out of 15,657 intubations, 301 of them were difficult. Eschmann's gum elastic bougie was used 276 times with a rate of success of 99%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study confirms the figures of publications, particularly the anglo-saxon ones and proves the interest of the Eschmann's gum elastic bougie in orotracheal intubations and this in first intention.
Detave
M
M
Département d'anesthésie-réanimation, centre hospitalier de Laon, 33, rue Marcellin-Berthelot, 02001 Laon cedex, France.
Shiniara
M
M
Leborgne
J-M
JM
D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008485:Medical Audit; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies