Laryngoscope-assisted Lightwand Intubation and Cervical Spine Motion

Intubation; Difficult

The aim of the study is to compare the effect of the laryngoscope-assisted lightwand intubation technique vs. the conventional lightwand intubation technique on the cervical spine motion during intubation in patients with the simulated cervical immobilization.

In clinical practice, the investigators have occasionally experienced some difficulties in the lightwand intubation in patients with cervical spine instability because manual in-line stabilization during intubation hinders free movements of the lightwand such as advancement, withdrawal, and scooping in the oral cavity. For this reason, jaw thrust is often used to secure enough space for free movements of the lightwand in the oral cavity in the traditional lightwand intubation technique. A recent study showed that laryngoscope-assisted lightwand intubation provided more successful intubation on the first attempt and less scooping movement than the traditional lightwand intubation by facilitating free movements of the lightwand in the oral cavity in patients with cervical immobilization during intubation for cervical spine surgery. In the laryngoscope-assisted lightwand intubation technique, the direct laryngoscope may provide sufficient space for free movements of the lightwand in the oral cavity without jaw thrust, which can result in cervical spine movement. However, the effect of the laryngoscope-assisted lightwand intubation technique on cervical spine motion is not investigated yet.

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