i-gel as an interface before intubation to buy safe apnea time in a patient with anticipated difficult airway due to multiple facial fractures

Abstract

Any traumatic injury to the face can be uniquely challenging to the anesthesiologist. A difficult airway in a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient, non-consenting for awake intubation can pose quite a conundrum. Our patient had multiple facial fractures with limited mouth opening, making mask ventilation difficult. We found that i-gel® was easy to insert in a lighter plane of anesthesia maintaining spontaneous ventilation, without much manipulation. The benefits were twofold, it confirmed the ability to ventilate and secondly bought us safe apnea time before attempts of intubation were made. Supra-glottic devices are an integral part of difficult airways but i-gel® is uniquely simple and easy to use.