Teaching a new method of rabbit intubation.

Veterinary technology students were asked to participate in a study comparing 2 methods of teaching endotracheal intubation of rabbits. The first group of students was taught to intubate rabbits by the classic 'sblind' method. This method entailed holding a sternally recumbent rabbit by its head while the intubator listened to breath sounds through a partially passed endotracheal tube inserted through the rabbit's oral cavity. When the rabbit inhaled, the intubator introduced the endotracheal tube to the lower respiratory tract, timing the movement of the endotracheal tube with the opening of the laryngeal inlet. A second technique, based on the blind method of intubation of horses, was taught to a second set of students. In this method, the operator visualizes the condensation of exhalation from the respiratory tract in the transparent silicon endotracheal tube positioned at the rostral larynx. The operator uses this information to advance the endotracheal tube into the airway. All students were successful with both techniques. Although students intubated the rabbits more quickly with the classic blind technique, they expressed unanimous preference for the lateral recumbency method.