i-gel® from Intersurgical: clinical evidence listing

A comprehensive list of all known published clinical evidence on the device

Comparison of blind intubation through the I-gel and the Air-Q™ by novice physicians during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A randomized, crossover, manikin trial.

Szarpak Ł. Am J Emerg Med. 2017 Mar;35(3):509-510. Epub 2016 Nov 12.

This study set out to determine the efficacy of blind intubation by novice physicians using the i-gel and the Air-Q devices. Prior the study, a training session focused on anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of the airways, as well as methods for airway control was provided to all participants. The novice physicians were randomly assigned to either the i-gel or the Air-Q. Several parameters were assessed including time to intubation (primary outcome), time to secure the airway, efficacy of blind intubation and difficulty of the procedure (measured in visual-analogue scale or VAS). Results showed that the time for airway management was 6.5 seconds for the i-gel and 11 seconds for the Air-Q. Time to intubation was significantly shorter when using the i-gel as compared to the Air-Q. Moreover, the effectiveness of intubation was 90% for the i-gel and 78% for the Air-Q. i-gel also had a lower VAS score, and the majority of the participants preferred it to the Air-Q. Therefore, these results suggest that the i-gel represents a better choice for blind intubation by novice physicians when performing CPR.

Link to abstract.

Comparison of I-gel versus Endotracheal Tube in Patients Undergoing Elective Cesarean Section: A Prospective Randomized Control Study

Panneer M, Babu S, Murugaiyan P. Anesth Essays Res. 2017 Oct-Dec; 11(4): 930–933 
 
The objective of this study was to compare the hemodynamic disturbances and possible complications caused by the i-gel and ETT in 80 patients (ASA II) undergoing cesarean receiving general anesthesia. A range of parameters was investigated including insertion time, ease of intubation, hemodynamics (insertion and removal) and postoperative complications (sore throat, blood on device, dysphagia, regurgitation, nausea, vomiting, laryngospasm and aspiration). Findings have demonstrated that patients in the ETT group had a higher incidence of difficult intubation, 20% higher mean arterial pressure and heart rate compared to the i-gel group. The ETT group also had a higher incidence of sore throat. Thus, the i-gel constitutes a superior alternative to the ETT in patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia.

Link to abstract.

Clinical Comparison of I-Gel Supraglottic Airway Device and Cuffed Endotracheal Tube for Pressure-Controlled Ventilation During Routine Surgical Procedures

Dhanda A, Singh S, Bhalotra AR, Chavali S. Turk J Anaesthesiol Reanim. 2017 Oct;45(5):270-276

The adequacy of i-gel for pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) in 60 patients undergoing elective surgery was assessed in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to the i-gel group or cuffed tracheal tube group. Several parameters were evaluated such as insertion time, number of attempts, ease of insertion and performance of the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, air leak, leak volume, leak fraction and pharyngolaryngeal (PL) morbidity were also assessed. Findings have shown that i-gel was easier to insert compared to the tracheal tube. Heart rate and mean arterial pressure were higher following tracheal tube but comparable between the two groups after few minutes. Moreover, the leak volume and leak fraction were comparable between the two groups at 15 cm H2O but significantly different at 20 and 25 cm H2O (higher in the i-gel group), and PL morbidity was significantly higher in the tracheal tube. Therefore, the i-gel represents a valuable alternative to the cuffed ETT if pressure is limited to 15 - 20 cm H2O.

Link to abstract.

Comparison of learning performance of 2 intubating laryngeal mask airways in novice: A randomized crossover manikin study.

Liu ZJ, Yi J, Chen WY, Zhang XH, Huang YG. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 May;96(19):e6905.

46 doctors with no intubation experience were given 20 minutes of airway training and a short practice session with the i-gel and Aura-I. They were then asked to insert each device into a manikin in random order and to attempt intubation through each airway. Time to ventilation, first-attempt and overall intubation success, incidence of gastric inflation, ease of insertion, view of the vocal cords, and insertion score were all recorded and compared. Participants attempted the same tasks at a 3-month follow-up session. First-attempt and overall success rates for intubation were high and comparable, with only 1 patient failing to intubate via the Aura-I at follow-up. Performance of the devices was generally comparable. Time to intubation was shorter with the i-gel at both time points. Participants also reported that the i-gel was easier to use. These results may be due to the lack of inflatable cuff.

Link to abstract

Sore throat following three adult supraglottic airway devices

L'Hermite J, Dubout E, Bouvet S, Bracoud LH, Cuvillon P, Coussaye JE, Ripart J. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2017 Jul;34(7):417-424

Comparison of the incidence of sore throat in 546 patients following use of LMA Unique, LMA Supreme and the i-gel. Primary outcome was incidence 24 hours postoperatively. Authors concluded that recordings were not significantly different between the three devices.

Link to abstract