A comparison of two airway aids for emergency use by unskilled personnel -The Combitube and laryngeal mask

Many non-anaesthetists find airway control and intubation difficult. The la ryngeal mask has been advocated for use by non-anaesthetists at cardiorespi ratory arrests, whilst the Combitube is said to provide protection from asp iration. We wished to determine which device was easiest for unskilled staf f to use. Staff not previously trained in airway support were briefly taugh t insertion of each device. Twenty-six ASA 1 or 2 adults, requiring muscle relaxation and tracheal intubation for surgery, were recruited to this rand omised crossover study Both devices were inserted in random order and the t ime to successful ventilation of the lungs recorded. Both devices were succ essfully placed in 24/26 patients. The median times to insertion were 40 s and 45 s for the laryngeal mask and Combitube, respectively, with two failu res, both with the Combitube (p > 0.05); these were due to faulty operator technique. The Combitube may be a suitable alternative to the laryngeal mas k for use in resuscitation by unskilled staff.