The Medical journal of Australia
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Clinical Trial
A potential new technique for awake fibreoptic bronchoscopy--use of the laryngeal mask airway.
To assess the potential use of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) for awake diagnostic fibreoptic bronchoscopy. ⋯ The potential advantages of the LMA are that it is simple to insert, avoids nasal trauma and facilitates direct laryngoscopy. It allows respiration to be monitored and oxygen to be administered. The technique may have a role to play in patients whose respiratory function is in a critical condition, but confirmation of this awaits comparative trials. A period of training is recommended in anaesthetised patients before the LMA is used for awake diagnostic bronchoscopy.