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CompletedNCT00885911Updated Jun 26, 2017

Evaluation of the Intubating Laryngeal Airway in Children

An observational study in Intubating Laryngeal Airway, sponsored by University of British Columbia. Completed at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged Up to 16 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-06-26.

Sponsored by University of British Columbia · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
110
Ages
Up to 16 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The Air-Q® intubating laryngeal airway (Air-Q® ILA) is an extraglottic device specifically engineered for use both as a stand-alone laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and as a rescue device or "Plan B" device in the event of a difficult airway. As with some other types of LMA, it is then possible to insert an endotracheal tube (ETT) through the Air-Q® ILA, either blindly or mounted on a fibreoptic bronchoscope (FOB), to achieve endotracheal intubation. This will be a prospective observational study of the Air-Q® ILA's performance.

Read the detailed description

Hypothesis: The Air-Q® intubating laryngeal airway (Air-Q® ILA) will: (1) perform satisfactorily as a primary airway; (2) perform comparably or better than the ProSeal™ LMA (PLMA); and (3) act as an excellent conduit for fibreoptic intubation.

Background: The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is used during pediatric anesthesia for routine and difficult airway management. The ideal pediatric LMA device would provide excellent sealing at low pressure; facilitate easy endotracheal intubation; and be available in pediatric sizes. Such a device would be an invaluable addition to difficult pediatric airway management plans and, by increasing the likelihood of quickly and effectively securing the difficult airway, and decreasing the risk of catastrophic hypoxemia, would increase perioperative safety for children. The Air-Q® ILA is a modified LMA device whose features encompass the characteristics of the ideal LMA. Our objective is to determine whether or not this new airway device is an improvement over the current standard of care.

Specific Objectives:

  1. To test the performance characteristics of the Air-Q® ILA as a primary airway in clinical pediatric anesthetic practice;
  2. To compare Air-Q® ILA performance to the current best option, the PLMA for sizes 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5; To evaluate the performance characteristics of the Air-Q® ILA as a conduit for fibreoptic intubation

Methods:

Recruitment of subjects: With ethical and institutional review board approval, and with written parental informed consent, we will recruit children, ages 0-12 years, undergoing elective surgery. Children with ASA status IV-V, abnormal or contraindicated cervical spine flexion/extension/rotation, contraindication to LMA placement, or requiring emergency surgery will be excluded. All children will undergo intravenous induction of anesthesia, as per our routine institutional practice.

Administration of Air-Q® ILA: In phase 1, the age/weight-appropriate Air-Q® ILA will be inserted in each child and assessed, using published, objective criteria. In phase 2, either a PLMA or an Air-Q® ILA will be inserted and assessed. The first LMA will then be removed and the other device inserted and assessed. The order of insertion will be determined by block randomization. In phase 3, the Air-Q® ILA will be inserted and, after ensuring adequate ventilation, a study investigator will undertake fibreoptic-guided endotracheal intubation through the Air-Q® ILA, after which the Air-Q® ILA will be removed. The performance characteristics of the Air-Q® ILA as a conduit for fibreoptic-guided endotracheal intubation will be evaluated.

Data analysis: Phase 1 will generate descriptive data on several validated performance characteristics. The primary outcome measure will be the oropharyngeal leak pressure (OLP) value. In phase 2, we will compare OLP values using paired t- tests. We will conduct appropriate statistical analysis of the data on the other assessment variables, which are all secondary outcome measures. In phase 3, the arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, and rise in end-tidal CO2 will be reported as outcome variables, along with the time taken to complete the fibreoptic intubation. Descriptive data will be presented as mean ± SD, median (range), counts (percentages or proportions) as appropriate.

02

Conditions studied

  • Intubating Laryngeal Airway

Keywords

  • Intubating laryngeal airway
  • pediatric
  • observational study
03

In context

Lead sponsor

University of British Columbia is the lead sponsor of 1,309 studies on the registry; 253 are open to participants now.

Of its 6 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 1 (17%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Up to 16 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

Perioperative safety for children. A device that would be an invaluable addition to difficult pediatric airway management plans, increasing the likelihood of quickly and effectively securing the difficult airway, and decreasing the risk of catastrophic hypoxemia.

Inclusion criteria

  • ASA I-III
  • Ideal body weight as determined from weight/height centile curves (> 3rd \& \< 97th centiles)
  • Elective surgery
  • Appropriate subject and procedure for airway management by LMA

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • ASA status IV-V
  • Emergency surgery
  • Abnormal or contraindicated cervical spine flexion/extension/rotation
  • Contraindication to LMA placement:

    • Aspiration risk; gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
    • Clinically significant pulmonary disease
    • Coagulopathy
    • Distorted airway anatomy judged likely to compromise LMA placement
    • Allergy to any LMA components
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
110 participants (actual)

Groups and cohorts

  • Extraglottic device

    The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) used during pediatric anesthesia for routine and difficult airway management.

06

Study locations

1 site
  • British Columbia Children's Hospital Department of Anesthesia
    Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3V4, Canada
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Whyte SD, Cooke E, Malherbe S. Usability and performance characteristics of the pediatric air-Q(R) intubating laryngeal airway. Can J Anaesth. 2013 Jun;60(6):557-63. doi: 10.1007/s12630-013-9918-6. Epub 2013 Mar 22. PubMed 23519724 ↗

Related links

08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 26, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00885911
Lead sponsor
University of British Columbia
Responsible party
Simon Whyte (Principle Investigator, University of British Columbia) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 22, 2009
Start date
Mar 2009
Primary completion
Sep 2012
Completion
Sep 2012
Last update
Jun 26, 2017

Study contacts

Simon Whyte, MD
principal investigator · University of British Columbia
Stephan Malherbe, MD
study director · University of British Columbia
Andrew Morrison, MD
study director · University of British Columbia

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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