Comparative study between the use of Macintosh Laryngoscope and Airtraq in patients with cervical spine immobilization

AbstractBackgroundAirway management is a major responsibility for anesthetist. This study was carried out to evaluate and compare the efficacy of Airtraq (AL) and Macintosh Laryngoscopes (ML) in intubating patients with cervical spine immobilization using manual inline axial stabilization technique (MIAS).MethodsThis randomized controlled study was carried out in Alexandria Main University Hospital on 40 adult ASA I and II patients after written informed consent and approval of the ethical committee, randomly categorized into two equal groups. All patients were subjected to same anesthetic protocol. Group I patients were intubated using AL and group II patients were intubated using ML. Hemodynamic measurements and oxygen saturation were recorded. Intubation criteria for both groups including (duration of intubation procedure, number of attempts, number of optimization maneuvers, Cormack and Lehane grade at laryngoscopy, Intubation Difficulty Scale score (IDS), rate of successful placement of endotracheal tube, neck mobility during laryngoscopy and intubation complications were recorded. Data statistically analyzed using SPSSR software using (t and χ2 tests) and P