Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

A Novel Rescue Technique for Difficult Intubation and Difficult Ventilation
Published on: January 17, 2011
Use of the Aintree intubation catheter in a patient with an unexpected difficult airway
Andrew Zura1, D John Doyle, Marc Orlandi
1Department of General Anesthesiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
Purpose:
To present a case where the Aintree intubation catheter (AIC) was used in conjunction with the Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) and a fibreoptic bronchoscope (FOB) in a patient with an unexpected difficult airway.
Clinical Features:
A 38-yr-old 90 kg man scheduled for nasal endoscopy with ethmoidectomy under general anesthesia was found, unexpectedly, to be difficult to intubate using both a Macintosh laryngoscope (#4 blade) and a GlideScope video laryngoscope despite having an airway examination that was unremarkable except for slightly decreased mouth opening and a large tongue. Intubation was achieved by inserting a size 5 disposable LMA into the upper airway, introducing a FOB into an AIC inserting the FOB/AIC assembly into the trachea via the LMA, removing the LMA, and then passing a regular size (7.5 mm) endotracheal tube into the trachea over the AIC.
Conclusion:
In this patient, the AIC provided an effective alternative to other methods for intubating through a regular LMA.
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