Gliderite®, one of the first stylets designed specifically to assist tracheal intubation with non-channeled curved blades video laryngoscopes, can cause injury. The S-Guide® is a new, malleable, intubating guide allowing oxygenation. Its soft tip is designed to prevent trauma. We aimed to compare the duration of tracheal intubation with S-Guide compared to Gliderite using a C-MAC® D-Blade® video laryngoscope in patients with simulated difficult airways.
We performed a single-blinded prospective randomized study, with 50 adult patients requiring orotracheal intubation under general anaestheesia in Lausanne University Hospital. A cervical collar was fitted around the patient's neck to simulate difficult intubation conditions. Exclusion criteria were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) >3, BMI > 35 kg m2 , known or at risk of difficult intubation, and risk of aspiration of gastric content. We recorded T1: time of identification of the glottis; T2: time to inflate the cuff, and T3: total intubation time (capnography curve appearance). Secondary outcomes were the presence of arytenoid contact during intubation and postoperative airway discomfort.
There were no significant differences between T1 and T2 (seconds) while using the S-Guide or Gliderite, respectively: 14.6 [9.6- 18.6] vs 16.5 [11.0-20.6]; P=.368 and 43.3 [33.2-49.3] vs 46.3 [35.6-61.5], P =.308. T3 was significantly shorter in the S-Guide group: 58.1 [50.2-61.8] vs 65.3 [57.6-78.7], P =.044. Fewer arytenoid contact occurred during intubation using the S-Guide (P =.032), without difference in postoperative airway discomfort.
S-Guide-assisted tracheal intubation, with a C-MAC D-Blade in simulated difficult airways, allows successful and faster intubation than with the Gliderite Stylet.