Difficult pediatric airway management using the intubating laryngeal airway

To evaluate the intubating laryngeal airway (ILA) in providing safe endotracheal intubation in pediatric patients with difficult airway; to describe a method for using flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy with the ILA for evaluating the pediatric airway.

Case series with chart review of the medical records of patients who had the ILA and fiberoptic intubation used to secure the airway at a tertiary pediatric hospital from January 2009 to January 2011. We documented the circumstances necessitating airway management, ILA success, airway evaluation findings, and medical conditions contributing to difficult airway.

Fifty patients met criteria for review. The median age was 59.8 months (0.3-244.1), and the median weight was 19.0 kg (2.6-86). Four cases (8%) were unanticipated difficult airways and 46 (92%) were anticipated difficult airways. Nine (18%) of the 50 procedures were performed emergently. Comorbid conditions included craniofacial syndromes (n=36), cervical spine instability/immobility (n=9), and airway hemorrhage (n=3). 48 (96%) patients were fiberoptically intubated on first attempt through the ILA. In 2 patients, fiberoptic intubation required a second attempt. The overall success rate using the ILA and fiberoptic intubation to secure the airway was 100%.

ILA and fiberoptic-guided tracheal intubation is a safe and effective method for securing the airway in pediatric patients with difficult airway and can be a useful alternative to direct laryngoscopy when laryngeal exposure is suboptimal.