A fibreoptic laryngoscope for paediatric anaesthesia. A study to evaluate the use of the 2.2 mm Olympus (LF-P) intubating fibrescope.

A technique for the use of the Olympus LF-P as an aid to tracheal intubation, via the oral route, in 40 anaesthetised, spontaneously breathing children is described. The technique was completely successful in 30 (75%) of the children. Complications occurred in the remaining ten (25%); two developed laryngospasm and in seven the fibrescope flipped out of the trachea during the initial passage of the tracheal tube over the fibrescope. In one child the wrong tracheal tube was initially chosen. The two children who developed laryngospasm and three of the children in whom the fibrescope flipped out of the trachea required conventional laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. Whilst this technique allowed for training in the use of the LF-P in paediatric anaesthesia there were a number of complications.