Does using an endotracheal tube or a supraglottic airway device result in better unassisted ventilation in rabbits?

Abstract

Supporting veterinary clinicians in making evidence-based decisionsIn rabbits does an endotracheal tube or v-gel result in better unassisted ventilation? Clinical ScenarioYou are a veterinary surgeon anaesthetising a healthy pet rabbit for a routine midline spay. To secure the rabbit's airway you have the choice of using an endotracheal (ET) tube, with an array of different sizes available, or three different sizes of v-gel® (small, medium or large). You sometimes struggle to place an ET tube in rabbits because you do not perform this skill often, and using a mask worries you because the airway is not secured. Your nurse tells you that she does not trust v-gels® and that she does not think they are safe because they cause cyanosis of the tongue and often become misplaced. However, another vet in your practice tells you that v-gels® are quicker and easier to place compared to ET tubes and that they seem to be just as safe and allow good ventilation, but they havent used v-gels® enough to be sure. You wonder whether using v-gel devices results in better unassisted ventilation than using ET tubes in rabbits....