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A tracheal tube introducer (commonly referred to as a bougie) is a vital device for difficult airway management. The introducer is a malleable rod that can be directed into the trachea even without an adequate view of the glottis. The degree of rigidity, however, varies among the currently available products and might affect the success of tracheal placement and the potential for airway trauma.
Researchers at two hospitals in the U.K. compared tracheal placement success rates, user preference, and peak forces exerted at the introducer tip for four different introducers; these were the reusable Eschmann (the classic “gum elastic bougie”) and three single-use introducers: Frova, new Portex, and PRO-Breathe. Seventy-two anesthetists who had at …