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CompletedNCT03118596Updated Apr 9, 2020Results posted

Fibre-optic Guided Tracheal Intubation Through SADs

An interventional study of I-gel and LMA Protector in Intubation; Difficult or Failed, Laryngeal Masks and Airway Management, sponsored by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. Completed at 2 sites in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-04-09.

Sponsored by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
180
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The study aims to establish which of the two second generation Supraglottic Airway Devices, the I-gel or the the laryngeal ask airway (LMA) Protector, is best suited to be used as a conduit to fibreoptic bronchoscope assisted tracheal intubation. The primary outcome of this will be the time to complete the tracheal intubation.

Read the detailed description

Tracheal intubation through a supraglottic airway device (SAD) is a well-established technique in the management of patients with a difficult airway. The technique can be used in patients in whom difficult intubation is expected, or in situations when tracheal intubation using another method was not possible. It is now recommended that tracheal intubation through the SAD should be performed using a fibreoptic scope (a camera device) to minimise the risk of trauma to the airway, and that second generation SADs are used to minimise the risk of aspiration of gastric contents.

There are two second generation SADs currently available which allow tracheal intubation: the I-gel and the LMA protector.

The I-gel is a second generation supraglottic airway device widely used in anaesthesia and resuscitation. Fibreoptic intubation through the I-gel has been evaluated in a recent prospective study (1), with the first attempt success rate of 91.4%. In another study (2) of patients with predicted difficult airway, the success rate of the procedure at first attempt was 96%.

LMA Protector is a recently introduced, improved version the LMA supreme - another second generation SAD. LMA supreme has been used in clinical practice for more than 10 years, however, tracheal intubation through the device was extremely difficult because of the small size of the breathing channel. The LMA Protector, has a larger breathing channel allowing the passage of an endotracheal tube. Compared to the I-gel, is has also got a larger gastric drainage tube. This allows easy suction in the event of regurgitation. Therefore, it appears to be superior to the I-gel in preventing the aspiration. But there are no studies comparing the ease of intubation through I-gel and LMA Protector

The aim of this study is to compare the ease of performing the fibreoptic guided tracheal intubation through these two devices. Our hypothesis is that intubation through the I-gel is easier and quicker.

02

Conditions studied

  • Intubation; Difficult or Failed
  • Laryngeal Masks
  • Airway Management

Keywords

  • intubation
  • tracheal
  • airway device
  • supra-glottic airway device
  • fibreoptic scope
03

In context

Lead sponsor

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust is the lead sponsor of 54 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • All patients aged above 18, presenting for elective surgical procedure, where a supraglottic airway device can be used and left in place throughout the duration of surgery and requiring tracheal intubation

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who are do not wish to take part
  • Patients with class II obesity (BMI >40)
  • Patients below 18 years of age
  • American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA 3, 4 and 5)
  • Patients with mouth opening of less than 3 cm
  • Patients deemed to require awake intubation
  • Surgery involving head and neck region
  • Surgery requiring prone position
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
180 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    I-gel

    Fibreoptic guided tracheal intubation through I-gel

    Device: I-gel

  • Active comparator
    LMA Protector

    Fibreoptic guided tracheal intubation through Protector

    Device: LMA Protector

Interventions

  • DeviceI-gel

    Fibreoptic guided tracheal intubation is going to be performed through the I-gel supraglottic airway.

  • DeviceLMA Protector

    Fibreoptic guided tracheal intubation is going to be performed through the LMA Protector supraglottic airway.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Total Intubation Time to Perform Fibreoptic Intubation

    Time form insertion of bronchoscope through the supraglottic airway device to obtaining the capnography trace

    Time frame: less than 3 minutes

Secondary outcomes

  1. SAD Insertion Time

    Time taken to insert the supra-glottic airway device measured from insertion into the mouth until the capnography trace is obtained

    Time frame: less than 1 minute

  2. Number of Attempts at the SAD Placement

    Number of attempts taken to successfully place the supraglottic airway device in the oropharynx

    Time frame: less than 2 minutes

  3. Number of Participants With Ease of Placement of the SAD

    The ease of placement of the SAD assessed by the investigator on a four point scale: 1. - Easy 2. - Moderate Difficulty 3- Severe Difficulty 4 - Failure

    Time frame: less than 2 minutes

  4. Number of Participants With First and Second Attempt at Tracheal Intubation

    Number of attempts at tracheal intubation. A new attempt is defined as re-insertion of the fibreoptic bronchoscope through the SAD.

    Time frame: less than 3 minutes

  5. Number of Participants With Quality of the View of the Vocal Cords Seen Through the SAD

    The quality of the view of the vocal cords seen through the SAD. It will be assessed, according to the previously published system, as: grade I - full view of the vocal cord, II - partial view of the vocal cords including arytenoids, III - epiglottis only, IV - other (SAD cuff, pharynx, others)

    Time frame: less than 3 minutes

  6. Time to Carinal View

    The time from insertion of fibreoptic scope into the lumen of the SAD to the visualization of the carina.

    Time frame: less than 1 minute

  7. Number of Participants With Type of Airway Maneuvers Performed During Tracheal Intubation,

    The number of tube rotations performed during tracheal intubation

    Time frame: less than 3 minutes

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Results

Posted Oct 10, 2019

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneI-gelLMA Protector
Started9090
Treated20
Failed04
Completed9086
Not completed04

Outcome measures

PrimaryTotal Intubation Time to Perform Fibreoptic Intubation

Time form insertion of bronchoscope through the supraglottic airway device to obtaining the capnography trace

Time frame:
less than 3 minutes
Reported as:
Mean · seconds
Total Intubation Time to Perform Fibreoptic Intubation
secondsI-gelLMA Protector
Total Intubation Time to Perform Fibreoptic Intubation54.3 ± 13.852.0 ± 13
SecondarySAD Insertion Time

Time taken to insert the supra-glottic airway device measured from insertion into the mouth until the capnography trace is obtained

Time frame:
less than 1 minute
Reported as:
Mean · seconds
SAD Insertion Time
secondsI-gelLMA Protector
SAD Insertion Time19.4 ± 5.625.4 ± 7.9
SecondaryNumber of Attempts at the SAD Placement

Number of attempts taken to successfully place the supraglottic airway device in the oropharynx

Time frame:
less than 2 minutes

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

SecondaryNumber of Participants With Ease of Placement of the SAD

The ease of placement of the SAD assessed by the investigator on a four point scale: 1. - Easy 2. - Moderate Difficulty 3- Severe Difficulty 4 - Failure

Time frame:
less than 2 minutes
Reported as:
Number · participants
Number of Participants With Ease of Placement of the SAD
participantsI-gelLMA Protector
Easy8637
Moderate Resistance644
Severe Resistance05
Failure00
SecondaryNumber of Participants With First and Second Attempt at Tracheal Intubation

Number of attempts at tracheal intubation. A new attempt is defined as re-insertion of the fibreoptic bronchoscope through the SAD.

Time frame:
less than 3 minutes
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants With First and Second Attempt at Tracheal Intubation
ParticipantsI-gelLMA Protector
First Attempt9084
Second Attempt22
SecondaryNumber of Participants With Quality of the View of the Vocal Cords Seen Through the SAD

The quality of the view of the vocal cords seen through the SAD. It will be assessed, according to the previously published system, as: grade I - full view of the vocal cord, II - partial view of the vocal cords including arytenoids, III - epiglottis only, IV - other (SAD cuff, pharynx, others)

Time frame:
less than 3 minutes
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants With Quality of the View of the Vocal Cords Seen Through the SAD
ParticipantsI-gelLMA Protector
Grade 17172
Grade 22014
Grade 310
SecondaryTime to Carinal View

The time from insertion of fibreoptic scope into the lumen of the SAD to the visualization of the carina.

Time frame:
less than 1 minute
Reported as:
Mean · seconds
Time to Carinal View
secondsI-gelLMA Protector
Time to Carinal View23.4 ± 1021.9 ± 8.3
SecondaryNumber of Participants With Type of Airway Maneuvers Performed During Tracheal Intubation,

The number of tube rotations performed during tracheal intubation

Time frame:
less than 3 minutes
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants With Type of Airway Maneuvers Performed During Tracheal Intubation,
ParticipantsI-gelLMA Protector
Tube impingement (Yes)3823
Tube impingement (No)5463

Adverse events

Collected over 1 year. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
I-gel0/92 (0%)0/92 (0%)0/92 (0%)
LMA Protector0/86 (0%)0/86 (0%)0/86 (0%)

Baseline characteristics

Age, Categorical
Age, Categorical(Participants)I-gelLMA ProtectorTotal
<=18 years000
Between 18 and 65 years5755112
>=65 years333164
Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)I-gelLMA ProtectorTotal
Mean55.7 ± 1554.7 ± 1755 ± 15
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)I-gelLMA ProtectorTotal
Female393574
Male5151102
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected(Participants)I-gelLMA ProtectorTotal
Count of participants——0
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(participants)I-gelLMA ProtectorTotal
United Kingdom9086176
08

Study locations

2 sites
  • University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust
    Coventry, West Midlands CV2 2DX, United Kingdom
  • Oxford University Hospitals
    Oxford, OX3 7LE, United Kingdom
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Frerk C, Mitchell VS, McNarry AF, Mendonca C, Bhagrath R, Patel A, O'Sullivan EP, Woodall NM, Ahmad I; Difficult Airway Society intubation guidelines working group. Difficult Airway Society 2015 guidelines for management of unanticipated difficult intubation in adults. Br J Anaesth. 2015 Dec;115(6):827-48. doi: 10.1093/bja/aev371. Epub 2015 Nov 10. PubMed 26556848 ↗
  • Kleine-Brueggeney M, Theiler L, Urwyler N, Vogt A, Greif R. Randomized trial comparing the i-gel and Magill tracheal tube with the single-use ILMA and ILMA tracheal tube for fibreoptic-guided intubation in anaesthetized patients with a predicted difficult airway. Br J Anaesth. 2011 Aug;107(2):251-7. doi: 10.1093/bja/aer103. Epub 2011 Jun 7. PubMed 21652616 ↗
  • El-Ganzouri, A. R., Marzouk, S., Abdelalem, N., & Yousef, M. (2011). Blind versus fiberoptic laryngoscopic intubation through air Q laryngeal mask airway. Egyptian Journal of Anaesthesia, 27(4), 213-218.
  • Taxak, S., Vashisht, K., Kaur, K. P., Ahlawat, G., & Bhardwaj, M. (2013). A study to evaluate fibreoptic-guided intubation through the i-gel. Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 19(2), 120-123.
  • Samir, E. M., & Sakr, S. A. (2012). The air-Q as a conduit for fiberoptic aided tracheal intubation in adult patients undergoing cervical spine fixation: A prospective randomized study. Egyptian Journal of Anaesthesia, 28(2), 133-137.
  • Jagannathan N, Sohn L, Ramsey M, Huang A, Sawardekar A, Sequera-Ramos L, Kromrey L, De Oliveira GS. A randomized comparison between the i-gel and the air-Q supraglottic airways when used by anesthesiology trainees as conduits for tracheal intubation in children. Can J Anaesth. 2015 Jun;62(6):587-94. doi: 10.1007/s12630-014-0304-9. Epub 2014 Dec 24. PubMed 25537736 ↗
  • Weingart SD, Levitan RM. Preoxygenation and prevention of desaturation during emergency airway management. Ann Emerg Med. 2012 Mar;59(3):165-75.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2011.10.002. Epub 2011 Nov 3. PubMed 22050948 ↗
  • Du Rand IA, Blaikley J, Booton R, Chaudhuri N, Gupta V, Khalid S, Mandal S, Martin J, Mills J, Navani N, Rahman NM, Wrightson JM, Munavvar M; British Thoracic Society Bronchoscopy Guideline Group. British Thoracic Society guideline for diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy in adults: accredited by NICE. Thorax. 2013 Aug;68 Suppl 1:i1-i44. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2013-203618. No abstract available. PubMed 23860341 ↗
  • Joffe AM, Liew EC, Galgon RE, Viernes D, Treggiari MM. The second-generation air-Q intubating laryngeal mask for airway maintenance during anaesthesia in adults: a report of the first 70 uses. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2011 Jan;39(1):40-5. doi: 10.1177/0310057X1103900106. PubMed 21375088 ↗

Study documents

  • Protocol and statistical analysis plan · Feb 28, 2017

Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 9, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03118596
Lead sponsor
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 18, 2017
Start date
May 24, 2017
Primary completion
Mar 26, 2018
Completion
Mar 26, 2018
Results posted
Oct 10, 2019
Last update
Apr 9, 2020

Study contacts

Cyprian Mendonca, Prof.
principal investigator · University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust, Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry CV2 2DX

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2020. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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