Comparison of airway management during anaesthesia using the laryngeal mask airway CTrach™ and Glidescope™

Abstract

The design of the Laryngeal Mask Airway CTrach™ combines the fibreoptic viewing capability of the Glidescope™ and the ability for ventilation of the Fastrach™. We conducted a prospective randomised trial comparing the intubation characteristics of the CTrach™ and Glidescope™ to investigate the difference in clinical performance for airway management during anaesthesia. One-hundred-and-six patients with normal airways were recruited and randomly assigned to the CTrach™ or Glidescope™ group. A standardised anaesthesia and airway management protocol was used. The time to intubation was significantly shorter for the Glidescope™ compared to the CTrach™ (43±22 vs. 73±36 s, P <0.001). The success rates of intubation within first and three attempts were significantly higher for Glidescope™. There was no apparent difference in complications of device insertion. Our results suggest that during elective management of normal airways, the time to intubation with the Glidescope™ is significantly shorter than the CTrach™. Further studies are required to compare these devices in patients with difficult airways.