Comparison of Standard Polyvinyl Chloride Tracheal Tubes and Straight Reinforced Tracheal Tubes for Tracheal Intubation through Different Sizes of the Airtraq Laryngoscope in Anesthetized and Paralyzed Patients

BACKGROUND: The authors compared the intubation success rate of straight reinforced tracheal tubes emerging from the Airtraq laryngoscope (Prodol Meditec S.A., Vizcaya, Spain) with standard preformed polyvinyl chloride tracheal tubes in anesthetized patients. METHODS: The authors randomly allocated 347 adult patients to be intubated with standard polyvinyl chloride tracheal tubes, standard straight wire-reinforced tracheal tubes, or silicone straight wire-reinforced tubes, through either the larger or the smaller adult laryngoscope sizes. The possible influence of laryngoscope size, tube size, and tube type on intubation failure was examined. RESULTS: Success rates were 100% for polyvinyl chloride tracheal tubes, 78.5% for standard wire-reinforced tracheal tubes, and 75.4% for silicone wire-reinforced tubes (P < 0.01). Compared with the former, patients in the straight standard and silicone wire-reinforced tube groups required more optimization maneuvers (4.1% vs. 42.1%; P < 0.01) and more attempts at successful intubation (0% vs. 7.3%; P < 0.01). The angle created by the tube emerging from the Airtraq guiding channel was inversely correlated to the ratio of the endotracheal tube OD to the width of the channel in the standard and silicone wire-reinforced tube groups (r = -0.95 and r = -0.82, respectively; P < 0.01). Finally, a decrease in 0.1 of the above ratio was associated with a 3.1 (95% confidence interval, 1.9-5.2; P < 0.01) times increase in the odds ratio of intubation failure. CONCLUSIONS: Standard polyvinyl chloride tracheal tubes were found to be superior compared with standard and silicone straight wire-reinforced tubes for intubation through the Airtraq laryngoscope. In the latter groups, a decrease of the ratio of their OD to the width of the Airtraq guiding channel resulted in increased intubation failure.