i-gel® from Intersurgical: clinical evidence listing

Melissopoulou T, Stroumpoulis K, Sampanis M A, Vrachnis N, Papadopoulos G, Chalkias A, Xanthos T. Heart Lung. 2014 Mar-Apr; 43(2): 112-6

A group of 45 nurses inserted the i-gel® and ILMA in a manikin with and without continuous chest compressions. ILMA proved more successful than the i-gel®, but continuation of compressions caused higher insertion times in both devices. Authors conclude that nursing staff can use both devices ‘as conduits with comparable success rates, regardless of whether chest compressions are interrupted or not’.

Link to abstract

Häske D, Schempf B, Gaier G, Niederberger C. Resuscitation 2013; 84(9): 1229-32

This observational study of i-gel® use during CPR assessed ease of insertion, ventilation quality, leak and whether ventilation was possible without chest compression interruption. Insertions were attempted by 63 paramedics and seven emergency physicians in pre-hospital CPR, with an overall 90% first-attempt insertion success rate. Insertion was reported as easy in 80% of cases, with the same figure representing cases with no leak recorded. In 74% of cases, continuous chest compression was still possible. The authors say that, ‘the i-gel is an easy supraglottic device to insert and enables adequate ventilation during CPR’.

Link to abstract

Nolan JP, Ornato JP, Parr MJA, Perkins GD, Soar J. Resuscitation 2013; 84(2): 129-36

A summary of the key papers published across the full spectrum of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Abstract text

Reiter DA, Strother CG, Weingart SD. Resuscitation 2013; 84(1): 93-7

Emergency Medicine residents split into teams took part in two simulated ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrests using a high fidelity simulator, testing whether use of a laryngeal mask airway improved resuscitation results. Time to airway placement, duration and success rate of airway placement and percent hands off time were among results measured. Authors conclude that use of a laryngeal mask and an IO device led to ‘significantly faster establishment of an airway’

Abstract

Larkin CB, d’Agapeyeff A, King BP, Gabbott DA. Resuscitation 2012; 83(6): E141

100 size 4 i-gel® airways were inserted in patients by a mixture of nurses, junior doctors and Resuscitation Officers, either before or after bag valve mask ventilation. 83/100 insertions were considered ‘Easy’ and 82/100 were inserted at the first attempt, with only one attempt resulting in complete failure. Presence of an audible leak and visible chest movement via synchronous and asynchronous ventilation were measured. 99% of users confirmed they would prefer to use i-gel® instead of an oropharyngeal airway. Authors confirm that, as a result of this test, i-gel® is their preferred supraglottic airway device of choice during the initial phase of CPR whilst the Resuscitation Team is summoned.

Link to abstract.