Successful Tracheal Intubation With Airway Scope After Failure With McGrath

Abstract

The use of video laryngoscopy is growing in patients with anatomical factors suggestive of a difficult airway. This case report describes the successful tracheal intubation of a 54-year-old female patient with limited mouth opening scheduled for third molar extraction under general anesthesia. The Airway scope (AWS) along with a gum-elastic bougie was used to secure the airway after failed direct laryngoscopy and video laryngoscopy using the McGrath MAC with an X-blade. The AWS has a J-shaped structure in which the blade approximates the curvature of the pharynx and larynx. This blade shape makes it easy to match the laryngeal axis with the visual field direction, enabling successful tracheal intubation even for patients with limited mouth opening. A major key to successful video laryngoscopy is to select a video laryngoscope based on the anatomical characteristics of patients with a difficult airway.