title: Usage of soft bougie for intubation via supraglottic airway devices.
abstract: An effective and dexterously established airway management of patients in life-threatening conditions is one of the basic procedures. Endotracheal intubation is considered to be the best method, however when, difficulties occur, it is indispensable to use of alternative methods with expertise.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the research is to compare the effectiveness of endotracheal intubation management while using 5 different supragrottic airway devices with and without a flexible tracheal tube introducer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed with use of the following devices: : Intersurgical Solus LMA, Ambu Curve LMA, iGEL, Cobra PLA, Air-Q and with the Eschmann bougie tracheal tube introducer. 30 students of medical rescuing took part in it. The observed elements were effectiveness of the intubation management and time needed for its conduction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Efficient intubation without the bougie was executed in the following percent of cases: LMA - 30%, iGEL - 67%, AmbuCurve LMA - 20%, Air-Q - 23%, Cobra PLA - 30%. Usage of the tracheal tube introducer does not improve the effectiveness of the intubation management with Supragrottic airway devices, on the contrary - it diminishes it. The percent of successful trials was: Ambu LMA Curve - 3%, Cobra PLA - 10%, iGEL - 27%. Intubation was not performed using the LMA and Air-Q. The shortest time of intubation was measured while using LMA Curve (24,8 s / 31,2 s).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Usage of soft track does not increase the effectiveness of intubation by any of the equipment or even the effectiveness decreases. IGEL device shows the highest effectiveness in both groups. The mean duration of intubation was achieved with the LMA Curve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine and Disaster Medicine, Chair of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Medical University of Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Cezary
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kułak
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine and Disaster Medicine, Chair of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Medical University of Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cierniak
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine and Disaster Medicine, Chair of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Medical University of Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gaszyński
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D008422:Materials Testing; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: airway; anaesthesia; bougie; equipment; supraglottic devices