Fiberoptic Bronchoscope of Double Lumen Tube and Single Lumen Tube in Patients With Semi-regid Neck Collar.

Many intrathoracic procedures demand optimal collapse of the operative lung to facilitate surgical exposure. Single-lung ventilation can be achieved using a double-lumen tube (DLT), a Univent tube, or an independent bronchial blocker. Insertion of a DLT using a direct laryngoscope can be more difficult than that of single-lumen tube (SLT), especially in patients for whom airway difficulty is anticipated. The safest of the proposed methods involves the placement of an SLT with the aid of an fibreoptic bronchoscope (FOB), following which the SLT is replaced with a DLT using an airway exchange technique in these patients. HumanBroncho® (Insung Medical, Seoul, Korea) is a new silicone DLT with a soft, flexible, non-bevelled, wire-reinforced tip. The oval shape, obtuse angle, and short lateral internal diameter of the bronchial lumen and its flexibility may allow for advancement to the trachea over the FOB with as much as ease as a standard SLT. In the present study, the investigators aimed to test the hypothesis that the HumanBroncho® DLT would be non-inferior to a standard SLT with regard to intubation time over an FOB in patients with semi-rigid neck collar simulating difficult airway.