BackgroundMaintaining an open airway in a spontaneously-breathing patient under deep sedation, or deep monitored anaesthesia care, can be challenging. Specifically, current oral airways are not long enough to displace obstruction caused by redundant pharyngeal tissue, prompting external maneuvers by anesthetists that can impact patient outcomes and facility operational efficiency. As procedures increase at outpatient surgical centers, there is a need for an anesthesia provider-validated airway device that can sufficiently open an obstructed airway and maintain airway patency.MethodsThis prospective, multi-center user-experience survey evaluated anesthesia provider experience of a new airway device for adult patients with airway obstruction during deep sedation. The novel external airway has a longer flexible tubing allowing for displacement of pharyngeal tissue, smaller diameter to allow placement alongside an endoscopy bite block, and is manufactured with softer material to allow ease of insertion and patient comfort.ResultsFifty-four anaesthetists at 15 hospital systems reported their experience of airway use in 86 cases. The novel airway device was 95% successful in establishing and maintaining a patent airway (n=68). Survey responses indicated that the airway was easy to place (93%), allowed for a “hands-off approach” (98%), and would improve airway management practice and patient outcomes (86%).ConclusionsThis pilot study demonstrated that the novel external airway is an effective and satisfactory method for anaesthesia providers to alleviate airway obstruction during deep sedation. Additional studies will be initiated to confirm efficacy and cost-effectiveness in patient populations and clinical environments that will most benefit from the new airway device.

Airway obstruction during anesthesia is a common occurrence with potentially serious outcomes. Increasingly, patients are older, heavier, and more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea—all heightened risk factors for airway complications. These patients undergo procedures where distal pharyngeal tissues can relax, obstructing the airway. As a result, there is a need for airway devices that can stent open distal pharyngeal tissues to maintain adequate ventilation. To physically address this problem, the new distal pharyngeal airway (DPA) prevents airway obstruction and enables providers to maintain ventilation.

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