Comparison of Glottic Views and Intubation Times in the Supine and 25 Degree Back-up Positions

NCT ID: NCT02934347

Last Updated: 2017-05-11

Study Results

Results available

Outcome measurements, participant flow, baseline characteristics, and adverse events have been published for this study.

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

781 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2012-02-29

Study Completion Date

2015-01-31

Brief Summary

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Our hypothesis is that the view of the glottis may be improved by putting all patients requiring intubation in the ramped or back up position while maintaining the classic sniffing position.

Detailed Description

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The sniffing position has traditionally been considered the optimal head position for direct laryngoscopy and is the usual patient position preferred by most anaesthetists. In theory, neck flexion aligns the pharyngeal and laryngeal axes, and head extension at the atlanto-occipital joint aligns the oral axis with these two axes allowing the line of sight to fall on the glottis. It is recognized as the starting head position for direct laryngoscopy because it provides the best chance of adequate exposure.

However the sniffing position does not guarantee adequate exposure in all patients because many other anatomical factors control the final degree of visualization.

To achieve a proper sniffing position in obese patients, the "ramped" (or the back-up) position has been used as this produces better neck flexion and head extension in these patients when compared to the horizontal supine position. Also the forces required to elevate and move the tongue and other tissues out of the line of sight are less when the patients are ramped.

Our hypothesis is that the view of the glottis may be improved by putting all (ie not only obese) patients requiring intubation in the ramped or back up position while maintaining the classic sniffing position.

Conditions

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Elective Surgical Patients

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_CONTROL

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Supine

A baseline group of adult patients who required intubation as part of their routine anaesthesia who were intubated in the standard horizontal sniffing position.

No interventions assigned to this group

Back-up

A subsequent group of similar the patients who had their anaesthesia induced and tracheas intubated in a 25 degree back-up position achieved by flexion of the operating table at the hips

25 degree back-up position

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

To test whether a 25 degree back-up position improves laryngeal views and makes intubation easier compared to the standard horizontal position

Interventions

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25 degree back-up position

To test whether a 25 degree back-up position improves laryngeal views and makes intubation easier compared to the standard horizontal position

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adult surgical patients who required intubation as part of their routine anaesthesia

Exclusion Criteria

1. Patients less than 18 years old,
2. Patients recognised to have difficult airways where an alternative method of intubation (e.g. fibre optic) was the method of choice,
3. Patients undergoing emergency surgery where patient positioning and data collection might cause delay (e.g. exsanguinating patients) or where the supine position is not optimal (e.g. brisk bleeding into the upper airway),
4. Patients requiring rapid sequence induction of anaesthesia
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Raj M Reddy

Consultant Anaesthetist

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Raj M Reddy, FRCA

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Anaesthetic Department, Glan Clwyd Hospital, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

References

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Adnet F, Baillard C, Borron SW, Denantes C, Lefebvre L, Galinski M, Martinez C, Cupa M, Lapostolle F. Randomized study comparing the "sniffing position" with simple head extension for laryngoscopic view in elective surgery patients. Anesthesiology. 2001 Oct;95(4):836-41. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200110000-00009.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11605921 (View on PubMed)

Bannister FB, Macbeth RG. Direct laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. Lancet 1944; 2: 651-4

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Greenland KB, Edwards MJ, Hutton NJ, Challis VJ, Irwin MG, Sleigh JW. Changes in airway configuration with different head and neck positions using magnetic resonance imaging of normal airways: a new concept with possible clinical applications. Br J Anaesth. 2010 Nov;105(5):683-90. doi: 10.1093/bja/aeq239. Epub 2010 Sep 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20846964 (View on PubMed)

Jackson C. Bronchoscopy and Esophagoscopy: A Manual of Peroral Endoscopy and Laryngeal Surgery. Philadelphia and London: WB Saunders; 1922

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Lee BJ, Kang JM, Kim DO. Laryngeal exposure during laryngoscopy is better in the 25 degrees back-up position than in the supine position. Br J Anaesth. 2007 Oct;99(4):581-6. doi: 10.1093/bja/aem095. Epub 2007 Jul 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17611252 (View on PubMed)

Lee HC, Yun MJ, Hwang JW, Na HS, Kim DH, Park JY. Higher operating tables provide better laryngeal views for tracheal intubation. Br J Anaesth. 2014 Apr;112(4):749-55. doi: 10.1093/bja/aet428. Epub 2013 Dec 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24355831 (View on PubMed)

Rao SL, Kunselman AR, Schuler HG, DesHarnais S. Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation in the head-elevated position in obese patients: a randomized, controlled, equivalence trial. Anesth Analg. 2008 Dec;107(6):1912-8. doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e31818556ed.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19020138 (View on PubMed)

Collins JS, Lemmens HJ, Brodsky JB, Brock-Utne JG, Levitan RM. Laryngoscopy and morbid obesity: a comparison of the "sniff" and "ramped" positions. Obes Surg. 2004 Oct;14(9):1171-5. doi: 10.1381/0960892042386869.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15527629 (View on PubMed)

Lane S, Saunders D, Schofield A, Padmanabhan R, Hildreth A, Laws D. A prospective, randomised controlled trial comparing the efficacy of pre-oxygenation in the 20 degrees head-up vs supine position. Anaesthesia. 2005 Nov;60(11):1064-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2005.04374.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16229689 (View on PubMed)

Dixon BJ, Dixon JB, Carden JR, Burn AJ, Schachter LM, Playfair JM, Laurie CP, O'Brien PE. Preoxygenation is more effective in the 25 degrees head-up position than in the supine position in severely obese patients: a randomized controlled study. Anesthesiology. 2005 Jun;102(6):1110-5; discussion 5A. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200506000-00009.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15915022 (View on PubMed)

Lebowitz PW, Shay H, Straker T, Rubin D, Bodner S. Shoulder and head elevation improves laryngoscopic view for tracheal intubation in nonobese as well as obese individuals. J Clin Anesth. 2012 Mar;24(2):104-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2011.06.015. Epub 2012 Feb 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22301204 (View on PubMed)

Reddy RM, Adke M, Patil P, Kosheleva I, Ridley S; Anaesthetic Department at Glan Clwyd Hospital. Comparison of glottic views and intubation times in the supine and 25 degree back-up positions. BMC Anesthesiol. 2016 Nov 16;16(1):113. doi: 10.1186/s12871-016-0280-4.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 27852241 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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BetsiCUHB

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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