Evaluación del laringoscopio Macintosh versus Airtraq en la población obesa mórbida

Abstract

Introduction Morbid obesity is associated with difficult handling of the airway. No agreement exists that these patients are difficult to intubate but if they are difficult to ventilate with facial mask, so it is a priority the fast control of their airway. This has motivated the search of predictors and handling techniques to try to reduce the risks in this population. The Airtraq¿ optic laryngoscope is a disposable device with anatomic blade that permits an intubation without alienation of the oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal axes, a larger field of vision, a short learning curve and it does not requires application of force to expose the glottis. This thesis was set to evaluate if the Airtraq¿ optic laryngoscope allows a faster handling of the air track that the Macintosh laryngoscope in the morbid obesity patient. It compares to the Macintosh laryngoscope for being this the standard laryngoscope for the airway handling. Objectives Compare the quickness of the tracheal intubation of the Macintosh laryngoscope versus the Airtraq¿ optic laryngoscope and the success of both in the morbid obesity population in programmed surgery. Compare the vision of the glottis with both laryngoscopes. Compare the hemodynamic answer in the use of both devices and the complications derived from its use. Materials and methods Prospective, observational, longitudinal and analytic study, realized in the Santa Lucia Universitary General Hospital, from Cartagena, Murcia. It included 46 morbid obesity patients, older than 18 years, ASA III, programmed for elective surgery, that were assigned in random patterns for being intubated with the Macintosh Laryngoscope (n=23) or the Airtraq¿ optical device (n=23), operated with the same anaesthetic technique and intubated for the researcher. It was compared: the time of the intubation, the laryngeal vision, the necessity of additional manoeuvres to realize the tracheal intubation, the success of the manoeuvres, the complications and the hemodynamic answer. Results The pre-operatory characteristics of the studied patients were similar in both groups. The average time of the intubation was 17,27 ± 16,1 seg and 22,11 ± 13,62 seg in the Airtraq¿ and Macintosh groups respectively (p 0,279). With the Airtraq¿ device the 95,65% of patients presented a glottic view 1 and 2a (p=0,006) and less optimizing manoeuvres were needed to realize the tracheal intubation (p=0,001). There were not presented any difficult intubation, failed intubation, or difficult ventilation cases. It was detected a raise in the cardiac frequency statistically significant with the use of the Macintosh laryngoscope. A patient with redundant epiglottis couldn't be intubated with the Airtraq¿ optic laryngoscope. Conclusions In this study, both devices permitted a quick handling and security of the airway. The use of the Airtraq¿ laryngoscope permits a better glottic view and that reduces the additional manoeuvres to realize the tracheal intubation and detects a minor adrenergic stimulus proved by a minor rise in the posterior cardiac frequency to the tracheal intubation. The redundant epiglottis it is shown as a possible limiting factor for the success of the intubation with the Airtraq¿ optic laryngoscope. Key words: difficult airway, morbid obesity, tracheal intubation, equipment, laryngoscope, Airtraq¿. Thesaurus terms: [241002] Human anatomy. [241102] Anaesthesiology. [321303] Surgical anaesthesia.