Fibreoptic Orotracheal Intubation of Obese Patients Using Parker Flex-Tip vs. Standard Endotracheal Tube

Özet

Objective: Advancement of the endotracheal tube through a fibreoptic scope can sometimes prove to be challenging in obese patients. TheParker Flex-Tip endotracheal tube was developed with a curved and tapered distal tip to facilitate easier placement in the trachea. This studyexamined the use of the Parker Flex-Tip tube as compared to standard endotracheal tubes in patients with a body mass index of 30 or greater.Methods: Sixty patients undergoing surgery requiring general anaesthesia were randomised into two groups. Using the fibreoptic scope, onegroup was intubated with the Parker Flex-Tip tube and the other group with a standard polyvinyl Portex tube. The time for intubation and thenumber of attempts required to place the endotracheal tube were measured and recorded.Results: Using the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test, the median time needed for intubation with the two types of endotracheal tubes did notshow a significant difference. The chi-square analyses were conducted for the number of attempts needed to place the endotracheal tubes, whichalso did not demonstrate any significant difference.Conclusions: Parker Flex-Tip endotracheal tube was not superior to the standard endotracheal tubes for fibreoptic intubation in obese patients.