Flexible fibreoptic laryngoscope

This is an expensive piece of airway equipment, but it can be very useful in patients with a predicted difficult airway. The tip of the scope is fed into the trachea whilst looking at the view through the eyepiece. Some have a portable battery, others have an electric light source. Adult scopes are size 5.3-6 mm outer diameter – they have different image quality and different size working channels.

They require training and practice to use successfully.

Proseal LMA

The Proseal has a gastric drainage tube which should line up with the oesophagus, to reduce aspiration risk. It allows higher airway pressures before a leak than the classic LMA.

Intubating LMA

If there is a difficult view of the vocal cords at laryngoscopy, the Intubating LMA can be used. It allows a special tracheal tube to pass through it, and it has a bar which lifts up the epiglottis during intubation.

Needle cricothyroid puncture

Special cannula attached to high pressure device, e.g. Manujet.

Or Quicktrach