[Intubating laryngeal mask]

To improve the success of blind intubation through a laryngeal mask, Dr. A.I.J. Brain constructed the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA), marketed under the name Fastrach. The new construction allows blind intubation with highly flexible endotracheal tubes up to 8 mm ID with cuff (straight Woodbridge type), securing the airway around the intubation process and maintaining most of the characteristics of a standard laryngeal mask airway (SLMA), including contraindications. An additional contraindication is the existence of a Zenker diverticle. Up to now, eight working groups reported a success rate of blind intubation through the ILMA of more than 90% in about 1,200 patients, with a success rate of blind intubation of more than 50% for the first intubation attempt. Ten percent of the patients were difficult to intubate with the same success rate for blind intubation as in normal patients. Reduced mouth opening does not seem to hinder the use of the ILMA in spite of its increased outer diameter of 2 cm, as long as it is possible to enlarge the mouth opening to > 2 cm during anaesthesia. The new ILMA more than doubles the success of blind intubation compared to an SLMA, irrespective of a large variety of intubation difficulties. Correct judgement of endotracheal tube position is mandatory. The ILMA has the potential to be used in patients who are difficult to intubate and to substitute the SLMA in "cannot ventilate--cannot intubate" situations. The future will show if the ILMA also will improve emergency airway management by inexperienced personnel, including intubation, as has been shown for the standard laryngeal mask airway in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for ventilation only.