For Unstable Fractures, Lightwand Produces Least Cervical Movement

Researchers compared cervical spine movement during intubation of cadavers with the Lightwand, Macintosh laryngoscope, Airtraq laryngoscope, and Fastrach LMA (an intubating laryngeal mask airway) to determine which device produces the least movement. Two attending anesthesiologists and three paramedics, who received training and had practiced with the devices, used each device three times on two or three cadavers with surgically created type II odontoid fracture. Intubations were performed with manual inline immobilization without cricoid or thyroid manipulation. An electromagnetic motion device placed at C1 and C2 measured changes in 3-dimensional position during intubation.

There were 153 successful intubations and 3 Fastrach failures (>3 …