Airway Management During the Last 100 Years

Abstract

A large variety of airway devices, techniques, and cognitive tools have been developed during the last 100 years to improve airway management safety and became a topic of major research interest. This article reviews the main developments in this period, starting with modern day laryngoscopy in the 1940s, fiberoptic laryngoscopy in the 1960s, supraglottic airway devices in the 1980s, algorithms for difficult airway in the 1990s, and finally modern video-laryngoscopy in the 2000s.

Keywords: Airway management; Endotracheal tube; Fiberoptic scope intubation; History; Laryngeal mask airway; Laryngeal tube; Supraglottic airway devices.