Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Airway management in the lateral position: a randomized controlled trial.

Conan L McCaul1, Donal Harney, Margaret Ryan

  • 1*Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; †The Robert Jones Agnes Hunt Orthopedic Hospital, Oswestry, United Kingdom; and ‡Division of Critical Care, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Anesthesia and Analgesia
|September 30, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Letter to the editor in response to: Serotonin syndrome following spinal anaesthesia for elective caesarean delivery: a case report.

International journal of obstetric anesthesia·2026
Same author

Letter to the editor re the shadow of reactogenicity.

Vaccine·2026
Same author

Improving End-of-Life Care for Patients in Australian Cardiology Wards: A Retrospective Medical Record Audit.

Heart, lung & circulation·2026
Same author

A 10-year service evaluation of a Cervical Dystonia Botulinum Toxin A Clinic: factors associated with patient-reported outcomes.

Irish journal of medical science·2025
Same author

Correction: The cost of implementing and sustaining an evidence‑based, behavioral‑health electronic screening system in probation departments.

Health & justice·2025
Same author

The cost of implementing and sustaining an evidence-based, behavioral-health electronic screening system in probation departments.

Health & justice·2025

For lateral patient positioning, a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) offers more reliable and faster airway management than endotracheal intubation, especially in challenging cases. This study highlights LMA

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Airway Management
  • Patient Positioning

Background:

  • Ensuring airway patency is critical in specific clinical scenarios.
  • Limited evidence exists for optimal airway management strategies during lateral patient positioning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of left lateral patient positioning on airway anatomy.
  • To compare the efficacy of endotracheal tubes versus laryngeal mask airways (LMAs) for airway management in the lateral position.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective randomized clinical trial involving anesthetized patients.
  • Laryngoscopic airway examination in supine and left lateral positions, with and without cricoid pressure.
  • Randomization to airway management with either an endotracheal tube or an LMA.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Left lateral positioning worsened laryngoscopic view in 35% of patients.
  • Higher failure rate of airway management with endotracheal tubes (8/39) compared to LMAs (1/30) in the lateral position (P=0.03).
  • Mean time for successful airway management was significantly longer with tracheal intubation (39s) versus LMA (26s) (P=0.002).

Conclusions:

  • LMA provides more reliable and rapid airway control than endotracheal intubation in the lateral position.
  • Lateral patient positioning can hinder airway management, contrary to some assumptions.
  • LMAs should be considered the primary device for airway management in the lateral position.