Evaluation of the new supraglottic airway S.A.L.T to aid blind orotracheal intubation: A pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Supraglottic Airway Laryngopharyngeal Tube (S.A.L.T) is a new airway gadget conceived as an effective device to facilitate blind oro-tracheal intubation. Literature review showed no available clinical study on human subjects. The aim of our study was to evaluate S.A.L.T as an adjunct to blind oro-tracheal intubation.


METHODS



METHODS
Single centre, Single group, Open label, Prospective, Interventional pilot study.


METHODS
30 adult patients of either sex belonging to ASA I and II, scheduled for elective surgery under General anaesthesia. Patients were pre-medicated with inj. Glycopyrrolate 0.2 mg and inj. Midazolam 2 mg and induced with Inj. Propofol 2 mg/kg IV. After inj. Suxamethonium 1.5 mg/kg IV, S.A.L.T was inserted and a size 7.0 ID cuffed ETT was inserted through it immediately. The time period, from insertion of the S.A.L.T to the insertion of the ETT was noted. A successful intubation was defined as to insert SALT and intubate through it within 2 minutes irrespective of the number of attempts. Airway trauma, if any was recorded.


RESULTS
Only 40% of the patients were successfully intubated [(20.4% to 59.6% with 95% confidence interval (CI)]. The mean number of attempts required for intubation was 1.4 ± 0.67 (CI - 0.99 to 1.8) and the mean time for intubation was 26.3 ± 19.0 seconds (CI - 14.3 to 38.4 sec). Mallampati class I had more success rate than class III (P < 0.05). No airway trauma was recorded.


CONCLUSIONS
S.A.L.T shows limited usefulness as an adjunct for aided blind oro-tracheal intubation.
Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Vijay G
VG
Anand
Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Girinivasan
Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Leelakrishna
Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Thavamani
Airway management; emergencies; intubation; laryngoscopy