What's in a name – unmasking the supraglottic airway devices conundrum

Abstract

Prior to the introduction of Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) in 1983 by Archie Brain, endotracheal intubation was the only established method to secure the airway aside from the facemask, which could assist airway management but offered no protection against gastric insufflation or aspiration of gastric contents. This breakthrough opened the floodgates for new inventions targeting the space above the glottis, designed to control the airway without entering the trachea. However, the overwhelming variety of these devices, combined with blurred classifications and misleading nomenclature, has turned their selection, procurement, training, and stock maintenance, into a logistical quagmire for any anesthetic or emergency department. This editorial provides a simplified overview of the situation and the proposed structured approaches to navigate it more effectively.

Abbreviations: ETT: endotracheal intubation, SAD: Supraglottic Airway Devices, SGA: Supraglottic Airways, LMA: Laryngeal Mask Airway,

Keywords: ADEPT: Airway Device Evaluation Project Team; DAS: Difficult Airway Society; EAD: extraglottic airway device; EOA: Esophageal Obturator Airway; Laryngeal Mask Airway; Supraglottic Airway Device; Endotracheal intubation

Citation: Majeed A, Amer MA, Tufail B. What's in a name – unmasking the supraglottic airway devices conundrum. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2025;29(4):273-5. DOI: 10.35975/apic.v29i4.2811

Received: May 12, 2025; Revised: May 16, 2025; Accepted: May 16, 2025