Extraglottic airway devices for use in diving medicine - part 3: the i-gel™.
Resuscitation or airway control of an unconscious diver in a diving bell (DB) or deck decompression chamber (DDC) is difficult. Although the laryngeal mask airway (cLMA) has been recommended by the Diving Medical Advisory Committee, it is associated with many problems in a DB or DDC because of its cuff. A new cuffless airway device, the Intersurgical i-gel™, has been released. This small study showed that diver medical technicians (DMTs) preferred the i-gel to the cLMA because it lacked a cuff and was easier to insert from any position. The i-gel is therefore recommended for use in resuscitation in a DB or DDC.
Consultant in the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Department of Anaesthesia, Pain and Hyperbaric Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia, Phone: +61-(0)8-8222-5116, Fax: +61-(0)8-8222-4207, E-mail: cacott@optusnet.com.au.
Christopher J
CJ
Acott