i-gel® from Intersurgical: clinical evidence listing

Mitchell CA, Riddle ML, Pearson NM, Tauferner DH, Carl R. Annals Of Emergency Medicine 2010;5(3):S25

Study to determine if a bougie could be successfully placed in a cadaver by emergency medicine providers using four supraglottic airway devices: LMA Supreme®, i-gel®, LMA® and KingLT®. Time to placement, confidence in the procedure and correct placement via direct laryngoscopy post-removal were recorded. No great significant differences in most areas, however i-gel® was much quicker than KingLT® to successfully insert, and generally outperformed it. LMA Supreme® and i-gel® considered the better devices for such a procedure, although the authors concede that using a cadaver did inhibit the study.

Abstract link

Schmidbauer W, Bercker S, Volk T, Bogusch G, Mager G, Kerner T. Br J Anaesth 2009; 102(1): 135-139

The three supraglottic devices were inserted into eight unfixed cadaver models with exposed oesophagi, connected to a water column producing both a slow and fast oesophageal pressure increase. During a fast increase of oesophageal pressure (simulated vomiting procedure) with the oesophageal lumen of the i-gel® and pLMA open, the authors reported that ‘the entire oesophageal liquid was drained to the outside without any tracheal aspiration occurring.’

Link to abstract.

Levitan RM, Kinkle WC. Anaesthesia 2005; 60(10): 1022- 1026

The first ever published study examined the positioning and mechanics of the i-gel® in 65 non-embalmed cadavers, with 73 endoscopies, 16 neck dissections and six neck radiographs. The mean percentage of glottic opening score for the 73 insertions was 82%. In each of the neck dissections and radiographs the bowl of the device covered the laryngeal inlet. In their summary, the authors concluded that the i-gel® was consistently positioned over the laryngeal inlet and that the unique gel-like material of the device performed as intended, conforming to the perilaryngeal anatomy.

Link to abstract.