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Canadian Journal of Anesthesia 52:297-301 (2005)
© Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society, 2005
Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Respiration and Airway

Parker Flex-TipTM are not superior to polyvinylchloride tracheal tubes for awake fibreoptic intubations

[Les tubes Parker Flex-TipTM ne sont pas supérieurs aux tubes trachéaux de polychlorure de vinyle utilisés pour les intubations fibroscopiques vigiles]

Hwan S. Joo, MD FRCPC, Viren N. Naik, MD MEd FRCPC and Georges L. Savoldelli, MD

From the Department of Anesthesia, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Address correspondence to: Dr. Hwan Joo, Department of Anesthesia, St. Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada. Phone: 416-864-5071; Fax: 416-864-6014; E-mail: hwanjoomd{at}yahoo.com

Purpose: Difficulty can be encountered during advancement of the tracheal tube (TT) over the bronchoscope after successful endotracheal bronchoscopy due to impingement on laryngeal structures. A new TT, the Parker Flex-Tip (PFT), has been shown to be superior to polyvinylchloride (PVC) TTs in anesthetized, paralyzed patients with normal airways. However, no study to date has shown the superiority of the new tapered tip design in patients with difficult airways during awake fibreoptic intubations (AFOI). The purpose of this study was to compare the PFT with PVC TTs for AFOI in patients with difficult airways or unstable c-spines.

Clinical features: In this prospective observational study, 111 patients with predicted or documented difficult airways, or unstable c-spines were assessed for ease of TT advancement during AFOI. First attempt success rates were 91% for PFT TTs and 84% for PVC TTs (P = NS). Resistance to TT advancement was none to mild and similar in both groups. Advancement without the need to rotate the TT 180° was also similar in both groups (57% vs 53%).

Conclusion: For AFOI in patients with difficult airways, the PFT is not superior to conventional PVC TTs.






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