Prevailing practices in airway management: a prospective single-centre observational study of endotracheal intubation.

Introduction: Airway management during anaesthesia has potential difficulties and risks. We aimed to investigate the utility of routine airway assessment for predicting difficult tracheal intubation, review the prevailing practice of videolaryngoscope use amongst anaesthetists in a teaching hospital and determine the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative airway-related complications.

Methods: A prospective observational study of 1,654 patients undergoing general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation over a seven-month period was performed.

Novel use of laryngeal mask airway classic excel™ for bronchoscopy and tracheal intubation.

The usage frequency and scope of supraglottic airway devices in anesthesia has expanded since the original laryngeal mask airway (LMA) prototype was invented by Dr Archie Brain in the early 1980s. Today, anesthesiologists are spoilt-for-choice with more than thirty options. The LMA Classic Excel™ was introduced to anesthesia practice in 2009; designed with an epiglottic elevating bar and a removable airway connector to facilitate tracheal intubation using the LMA as a conduit.