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Updated: Mar 11, 2026
Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation
Published on: January 17, 2011
Fiberoptic-guided intubation after insertion of the i-gel airway device in spontaneously breathing patients with
Julian Arévalo-Ludeña1, Jose Juan Arcas-Bellas1, Rafael Alvarez-Rementería1
1Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Avenida Reyes Catolicos 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
Study Objective:
To assess the viability of performing fiberoptic-guided orotracheal intubation through the i-gel airway device previously inserted in spontaneously breathing patients with predicted difficult airway to achieve a patent airway.
Design:
Prospective observational study.
Setting:
Operating room in a tertiary care hospital.
Patients:
Eighty-five adult patients with at least 3 difficult airway predictors or difficult airway management history were included.
Interventions:
The i-gel device was inserted in spontaneous ventilation under oropharyngeal local anesthesia and sedation. After checking the adequate ventilation through the i-gel with capnography curve, general anesthesia was induced to introduce the endotracheal tube guided by fiberoptic bronchoscope.
Measurements:
We recorded the i-gel insertion time (tgel), intubation time (tint), and O2 saturation in pulse oximetry in different moments: basal (t0), after 3 minutes of preoxygenation with a face mask at 100% fraction of inspired O2 (t1), after i-gel mask insertion (t2), and after intubation (t3). Adverse events during the procedure were also recorded, and patient discomfort was questioned.
Main Results:
All patients were successfully intubated. O2 saturation in pulse oximetry values were (mean±SD): 96.9±1.22 (t0), 99.0±0.85 (t1), 96.2±2.37 (t2), and 96.0±2.54 (t3). tgel and tint were 38.0±7.76 seconds and 36.5±5.55 seconds (mean±SD), respectively. No serious adverse events were recorded, and no patient suffered airway damage. Visual analogue scale for patient discomfort was 2 (interquartile range, 1-3).
Conclusions:
i-gel insertion in spontaneously breathing patients avoids the "cannot ventilate" scenario. The subsequent fiberoptic-guided intubation through the i-gel is a safe and effective technique. More studies might be necessary to confirm the results presented, but we consider that the technique described is an adequate alternative to classic orotracheal intubation with fiberoptic bronchoscope in spontaneous ventilation for certain patients with predicted difficult airway.
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