Introduction
Airway management is a core stone and remains a challenge of every anesthetist. Visual control may facilitate tracheal intubation. Rigid video-laryngoscopes are emerging among the devices suggested as alternatives to direct laryngoscopy. Among the many alternative devices to choose for tracheal intubation, semi-rigid fibrescopes and lighted stylets can alternate rigid laryngoscopy in endotracheal intubation.
Aim of the work
The aim of the study was to clarify the efficacy and hemodynamic responses associated with tracheal intubation using trachlight technique (blind object) compared to SensaScope technique in patients subjected to elective surgery.
Patients and methods
Thirty patients were randomly allocated to either the trachlight (TL) or SensaScope (SS) group, (15 patients in each group). All endotracheal intubations were performed after induction of general anesthesia. Evaluation of technique, performance, duration of intubation, number of attempts at intubation, success rate of intubation with each device, hemodynamic changes [heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP)] and oxygen saturation (SpO) were recorded.
Results
The duration of the intubation procedures was shorter in the SS group (64.86 ± 54.166 s) than in the TL group (68.53 ± 50.89 s) but without statistical significance, while no significant difference in the numbers of intubation attempts between the two groups. HR and MAP showed transient increase without statistical significance between both groups.
Conclusion
The endotracheal intubation was effectively using either trachlight or SensaScope, while the SensaScope (SS) group showed shorter time and attenuation of the hemodynamic changes produced by tracheal intubation without significant postoperative complications except 13% complaining of hoarseness of voice after extubation.