BackgroundSupraglottic devices are helpful for inexperienced providers who perform ventilation in emergency situations. Most supraglottic devices do not allow secondary tracheal intubation through the device. The novel intubating laryngeal tube (iLTS-D®) and the intubating laryngeal mask (Fastrach™) are devices that offer supraglottic ventilation and secondary tracheal intubation.MethodsWe evaluated the novel iLTS-D and compared it to the established Fastrach using a manikin-based study. Participants used both devices in a randomised order. The participants conducted four consecutive trials on a manikin. One trial was composed of the following procedures. First, participants ventilated the manikin using either iLTS-D or Fastrach. ‘Time to ventilation’, success rates and number of attempts were recorded for the supraglottic device. Second, participants intubated the manikin through the previously inserted supraglottic device. ‘Time to tracheal ventilation’, success rate and tube localisation were recorded. The primary endpoint was the results of the final fourth trial, which mirrored the standardised training of trials 1, 2 and 3.ResultsA total of 64 participants were enrolled. All of the participants successfully inserted both devices on their first attempt in trial 4. Fastrach was applied 1 s faster in trial 4 than the iLTS-D (median ‘time to ventilation’ Fastrach: 13.5 s., iLTS-D: 14.5 s., p = 0.04). All participants successfully intubated through both devices in trial 4. There was no difference in ‘time to tracheal ventilation’ by tracheal intubation between either device (median ‘time to tracheal ventilation’: Fastrach: 14.0 s., iLTS-D: 14.0 s., p = 0.16).ConclusionThe iLTS-D performed similarly to the ILMA in insertion and intubation times in a manikin setting.

BackgroundA variety of instruments are used to perform airway management by tracheal intubation. In this study, we compared the MacIntosh balde (MB) laryngoscope with the Bonfils intubation fibrescope as intubation techniques. The aim of this study was to identify the technique (MB or Bonfils) that would allow students in their last year of medical school to perform tracheal intubation faster and with a higher success probability. Data were collected from 150 participants using an airway simulator [‘Laerdal Airway Management Trainer’ (Laerdal Medical AS, Stavanger, Norway)]. The participants were randomly assigned to a sequence of techniques to use. Four consecutive intubation ‘trials’ were performed with each technique. These trials were evaluated for differences in the following categories: the ‘time to successful ventilation‘, ‘success probability’ within 90 s,’time to visualisation’ of the vocal cords (glottis), and ‘quality of visualisation’ according to the Cormack and Lehane score (C&L, grade 1–4). The primary endpoint was the ‘time to successful ventilation‘in the fourth and final trial.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference in the ‘time to successful ventilation’ between the two techniques in trial 4 (‘time to successful ventilation’: median: MB: 16 s, Bonfils: 14 s, p = 0.244). However, the ‘success probability’ within 90 s was higher when using a Macintosh blade than when using a Bonfils (95 vs. 87 %). The glottis could be better visualised when using a Bonfils (C&L score of 1 (best view): MB: 41 %, Bonfils: 93 %), but visualisation was achieved more rapidly when using a Macintosh blade (median: ‘time to visualisation’: MB: 6 s, Bonfils: 8 s, p = 0.003).ConclusionsThe time to ventilation using the MacIntosh blade and Bonfils mainly did to differ, however success probabilities and time to visualisation primary favoured the MacIntosh blade as intubation technique, although the Bonfils seem to have a steeper learning curve. The Bonfils is still a promising intubation technique and might be easier to learn as the MB, at least in a manikin.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-016-1937-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

With the methods applied, this study could not prove that 225 min of SBT before the operating room apprenticeship increased the medical students' clinical skills as evaluated in the operating room. Secondary endpoints indicate that medical students have better clinical skills at the end of the entire curriculum when they have been trained through SBT before the operating room apprenticeship. However, the authors believe that simulator training has a positive impact on students' acquisition of procedural and patient safety skills, even if the methods applied in this study may not mirror this aspect sufficiently.