Abstract Pr538: Comparison of High And Low Pillow Heights for Tracheal Tube Intubation with the Pentax-aws Airwayscope®

Background & Objectives: The appropriate pillow height for tracheal intubation with the Pentax-AWS Airwayscope® (AWS) has not been assessed. This randomised clinical trial aimed to compare pillow height for tracheal intubation with the AWS in patients undergoing elective surgery. Materials & Methods: This study was listed in the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry under registration number UMIN000018208. After obtaining approval from the Research Ethics Committee, 90 patients were assessed for study eligibility from September 2015 to January 2016. Of 90 patients, four refused to participate and six were excluded in accordance with eligibility criteria. 80 patients aged 20 to 85 years who were scheduled to undergo general anesthesia in the supine position were randomly assigned to one of two groups: intubation with a high pillow (HP group, 12-cm pillow height; 40 patients) or low pillow (LP group, 4-cm pillow height; 40 patients). Anesthesia was induced with propofol and remifentanil. Intubation time, number of attempts required for Intlock insertion and tracheal tube progression through the glottis, percentage of glottis opening, subjective difficulty of laryngoscopy and tube passage through the glottis using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and postoperative hoarseness and pharyngeal pain were assessed. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Intubation time was significantly shorter in the LP group than in the HP group (LP group: 27.9±12.3 s vs. HP group: 46.2±15.0 s; P<0.001). The number of Intlock insertions, Cormack classifications, and POGO scores did not differ between groups (P=0.14, P=0.69, P=0.38, respectively). The number of attempts for tracheal tube progression to the glottis was significantly smaller in the LP group than in the HP group (P=0.003). VAS scores for laryngoscopy and tube passage through the glottis were significantly smaller in the LP group than in the HP group (P=0.001 and P<0.001). Conclusion: Low pillow height facilitates tracheal intubation with the AWS by reducing intubation time, smoothing tracheal tube progression through the glottis, and diminishing postoperative hoarseness in anesthetised patients. Disclosure of Interest: None declared