The first step in airway management following anesthesia induction is the period of bag-mask ventilation. This step is the most critical phase of airway management because, if mask ventilation fails, the anesthesiologist must make a life-saving decision for the patient. Bag-mask ventilation is a technical skill acquired over time; therefore, difficulty in mask ventilation may be related to either the provider or the patient. According to the literature, the incidence of difficult mask ventilation varies between 0.08% and 15% in different studies.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) defines difficult mask ventilation as inadequate mask or supraglottic airway (SGA) ventilation, excessive air leakage, or excessive resistance to airflow during inspiration or expiration. Signs of inadequate ventilation include, but are not limited to, absent or insufficient chest movement, absent or diminished breath sounds, auscultatory signs of severe obstruction, cyanosis, gastric insufflation or distension, decreased or inadequate oxygen saturation (SpO₂), absence or inadequacy of end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO₂), absence or inadequacy of expiratory gas flow on spirometry, and hemodynamic changes associated with hypoxemia or hypercarbia (e.g., hypertension, tachycardia, arrhythmia).
Predictors of difficult mask ventilation include age over 55 years, the presence of a beard, poor mask fit due to secretions, edentulism, a history of snoring or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), and obesity. In anesthesia practice, when faced with difficult mask ventilation, various maneuvers, two-hand techniques, and adjunct airway devices are employed. Among these devices are various oral airways, the most common of which is the Guedel airway.
In recent years, new oral airway devices have been introduced as alternatives to the Guedel airway. The Tulip airway is a novel oral airway that is longer than the Guedel airway, equipped with a cuff, and features a connector that allows attachment to the breathing circuit. These characteristics enable it to be secured within the oral cavity via its cuff, and connection to the breathing circuit allows for airway management that may be more comfortable for the anesthesiologist compared to two-handed mask control.
The superiority of the Tulip airway over the Guedel airway has been demonstrated in patients with cervical spine injury, in edentulous manikins, and in patients undergoing general anesthesia. However, it has not been studied in patients with anticipated difficult mask ventilation. The aim of our study is to investigate whether the Tulip airway provides superior performance to the classical Guedel airway during the mask ventilation phase in patients with anticipated difficult mask ventilation. We hypothesize that the use of the Tulip airway in such patients will improve respiratory parameters and reduce the risk of complications during mask ventilation.
