Use of the cuffed oropharyngeal airway for manual ventilation by nonanaesthetists

We studied the use of the cuffed oropharyngeal airway in 100 ASA I and II anaesthetised patients. In the first 50 patients (group A), an experienced anaesthetist inserted the airway. The optimum sizes and cuff volumes for manual ventilation in adult males and females were found to be sizes 11 and 10 with up to 60 ml and 50 ml in each cuff, respectively. Manual ventilation was clinically successful in 49/50 (98%) of these patients. Using these recommendations and following a brief tutorial, a group of 50 nonanaesthetic, basic life-support providers attempted to insert a cuffed oropharyngeal airway and manually ventilate the lungs of a subsequent 50 patients (group NA). Clinically adequate tidal volumes were achieved within 45 s in 47/50 (94%) patients in this group. A persistent leak was present in 21/49 (43%) and 24/47 (51%) of the successful insertions in each group, but this did not affect the ability to ventilate the lungs adequately. The cuffed oropharyngeal airway may offer an effective method of providing adequate ventilation during resuscitation by nonanaesthetic hospital staff.