Pilot manikin study showed that a supraglottic airway device improved simulated neonatal ventilation in a low-resource setting.

AIM: We compared the performance of personnel in a low-resource setting when they used the I-gel cuffless neonatal laryngeal mask or a face mask on a neonatal airway management manikin.

METHODS: At Mulago Hospital, Uganda, 25 doctors, nurses and midwives involved in neonatal resuscitation were given brief training with the I-gel and face mask. Then, every participant was observed positioning both devices on three consecutive occasions. The success rate and insertion times leading to effective positive pressure ventilation (PPV) were recorded. Participants rated the perceived efficiency of the devices using a five-point Likert scale.

RESULTS: The I-gel achieved a 100% success rate on all three occasions, but the face mask was significantly less effective in achieving effective PPV and the failure rates at the first, second and third attempts were 28%, 8% and 20%, respectively. The perceived efficiency of the devices was significantly superior for the I-gel (4.7 ± 0.4) than the face mask (3.3 ± 0.8).

CONCLUSION: The I-gel was more effective than the face mask in establishing PPV in the manikin, and user satisfaction was higher. These encouraging manikin data could be a stepping stone for clinical research on the use of the I-gel for neonatal resuscitation in low-resource settings.