COMPARISON BETWEEN THE OVASSAPIAN INTUBATING AIRWAY AND THE BERMAN INTUBATING AIRWAY IN FIBEROPTIC INTUBATION

The most common indication for employing the fibreoptic technique for intubation is when a difficult intubation is anticipated. It may also be used when intubation unexpectedly proves difficult with a rigid lar yngoscope in anaesthetized patients. However, failures with orotrachea l fibreoptic intubation have been reported in up to 9.5% of cases, alt hough only two possible equipment related causes of intubation difficu lties have been identified. The Berman intubating airway and the Ovass apian intubation airway in fibre-optic oratracheal intubation have bee n compared in 65 patients. The study was randomized and for fibre-opti c endoscopy each patient served as his or her own control. The results indicate that both airways can be used for orotracheal fibreoptic int ubation in anaesthetized patients. The Berman airway offers easier vis ualization of the vocal cords than the Ovassapian airway, provided tha t the Berman airway is of an adequate size and positioned in the midli ne. Upon impingement of the intubation tube, completing the tracheal i ntubation is more difficult with the Berman airway than the Ovassapian airway.