Clinical Research Directory

Title of Study: Anesthesiologists' Learning Curves for Ultrasound Assessment of Difficult Airway

This study aims to determine how many supervised practice attempts anesthesia trainees need to become competent in using ultrasound to assess the airway. Airway ultrasound may help clinicians identify anatomical features associated with a difficult airway, which can make breathing support or placement of a breathing tube more challenging during anesthesia. However, the amount of training needed to perform these ultrasound measurements accurately has not been established. Eight anesthesia trainees will receive theoretical instruction and hands-on training before performing ultrasound assessments on 20 healthy adult volunteers. The trainees will measure tongue thickness and the distances from the skin to the epiglottis and vocal cords. Their measurements will be compared with those of experienced airway ultrasound experts to assess accuracy and determine how many attempts are needed to achieve competency. A follow-up assessment three months later will evaluate whether the trainees retain their skills. The study hypothesis is that anesthesia trainees can achieve competency in airway ultrasound assessment after a limited number of supervised practice attempts and retain these skills over time. The findings may help establish evidence-based training requirements for airway ultrasound assessment.

Cuff Pressure and Airway Edema in CABG With CPB

This study investigates how endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff pressure management during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) affects upper airway edema. Patients will be randomized into two groups: cuff pressure kept at 0 mmHg or maintained at 20-30 mmHg during CPB. Ultrasonography will be used to measure lateral pharyngeal wall thickness, tongue parameters, and other airway dimensions at predefined perioperative time points. The primary outcome is the change in lateral pharyngeal wall thickness as an indicator of airway edema. A total of 76 patients aged 18-80 years undergoing elective CABG with CPB will be enrolled. The results aim to clarify safe cuff pressure management strategies to reduce airway edema.

Airway Ultrasound As an Independent Predictor of Difficult Laryngoscopy in Patients Receiving General Anesthesia for Elective Surgery

The goal of this observational study is to determine the usefulness of pre-operative airway ultrasound in predicting difficult laryngoscopy in patients receiving general anesthesia for elective surgery. The main question it aims to answer is the independent prognostic value of pre-operative airway ultrasound.

The USE of ULTRASONOGRAPHY in CONFIRMING SUPRAGLOTTIC AIRWAY DEVICE PLACEMENT in PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

In this study,the investigators evaluated the placement of the supraglottic airway device with ultrasonographic imaging.