Use of the intubating laryngeal mask airway in pre-hospital care: a case report.

In trauma management, the importance of early and effective control of the airway is acknowledged universally. Attention to the airway is particularly vital when a casualty has sustained serious head or facial injuries. A cuffed tracheal tube has generally been regarded as the airway adjunct of choice in such cases. However, the attempted insertion of a tracheal tube under direct laryngoscopy is associated with a number of practical problems in pre-hospital trauma care. A case is described in which the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA or LMA-Fastrach) was used successfully in the pre-hospital setting to secure the airway of a patient who had sustained serious head and facial injuries in a road traffic collision. The indications for the use of the ILMA in pre-hospital care are discussed.