In trauma management, the importance of early and effective control of the
airway is acknowledged universally. Attention to the airway is particularly
vital when a casualty has sustained serious head or facial injuries. A cuf
fed tracheal tube has generally been regarded as the airway adjunct of choi
ce in such cases. However, the attempted insertion of a tracheal tube under
direct laryngoscopy is associated with a number of practical problems in p
re-hospital trauma care. A case is described in which the intubating laryng
eal mask airway (ILMA or LMA-Fastrach) was used successfully in the pre-hos
pital setting to secure the airway of a patient who had sustained serious h
ead and facial injuries in a road traffic collision. The indications for th
e use of the ILMA in pre-hospital care are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sci
ence Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.