Comparison of Aintree and Fastrach techniques for low-skill fibreoptic intubation in patients at risk of secondary cervical injury: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: We compared two methods of asleep fibreoptic intubation in patients at risk of secondary cervical injury: the Aintree Intubation Catheter via a classic laryngeal mask airway (cLMA) versus the Fastrach technique via the intubating laryngeal mask airway (iLMA).

Objective: To test which system has the highest rate of successful intubations in the clinical setting.

Design: A randomised controlled study.

Awake fiberoptic intubation and self-positioning in patients at risk of secondary cervical injury: a pilot study.

Background: This study was designed to document the feasibility of self-positioning after awake fiberoptic intubation of the trachea using primarily effective topical anesthesia rather than sedation.

Methods: We investigated 14 patients (ASA physical status 1 to 3) with a neurosurgical diagnosis of cervical instability or at risk of secondary cervical injury, who were scheduled for awake fiberoptic intubation and self-positioning prone. Topical anesthesia was accomplished using an oropharyngeal spray of lidocaine alone or in combination with a transtracheal injection of lidocaine for awake fiberoptic intubation and self-positioning prone.

Recordings of long-latency trigeminal somatosensory-evoked potentials in patients under general anaesthesia.

Objective: The reliability of intra-operative recordings of trigeminal scalp-induced somatosensory-evoked potentials (T-SSEP) is controversial. This investigation aimed to provide evidence that T-SSEP recordings are stable using standardised neurophysiological methodology and anaesthesiological regime.

Methods: We investigated 99 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy under total intravenous anaesthesia (propofol/remifentanil infusion).