On this page we discuss the standard anesthetic facemask and two variations of it, the Patil-Syracuse mask and the endoscopy facemask.
Standard anesthetic facemask
Patil-Syracuse facemask
Endoscopy mask
FEATURES
The Endoscopy Mask works based on the same principle as the Patil-Syracuse mask (see above), i.e. it has an additional port with a soft silicone membrane to accommodate endotracheal tubes or different endoscopic devices.
Sizes
The mask comes in four sizes (neonate, infant, child, and adult). The siliconce membrane, which is removable and inter-changeable, is also supplied in four variations according to the size of the hole in the membrane (2, 3, 5, and 10mm).
Membranes with smaller membrane openings are meant to be used with smaller-sized devices, i.e. bronchoscopes and smaller ET tubes, whereas membranes with bigger openings are required for use with devices such as gastroscopes and TEE probes.
USES
The membrane is designed to create a seal around an endotracheal tube or bronchoscope, allowing asleep oral fiberoptic intubation (or other endoscopic techniques such as bronchoscopy without intubation, gastroscopy, or transesophageal echcardiography) to be performed while administering bag-mask ventilation.
Comparison with the Patil-Syracuse mask
The Endoscopy Mask has potential advantages over the Patil-Syracuse mask:
- The membrane port is located in the center rather than the bottom of the mask and the eccentric hole in the membrane can be rotated as needed to a more cephalad or caudad position. This might make this device more versatile and suitable for either oral or nasal intubation. Performing a nasal intubation through the Patil-Syracuse mask can be tricky as the very caudad location of the port makes it difficult to navigate the ET tube into the nasal passage.
- The mask can be used with armored/ reinforced ET tubes, which have non-detachable tube connectors. The larger membrane size of the endoscopy mask allows for the tube connector to be pulled through the membrane after successful intubation (or the membrane can just be left around the ET tube while the rest of the mask is removed). The connector of an armored/ reinforced ET tube will not fit through the port of a Patil-Syracuse mask. Armored/ reinforced ET tubes might offer some advantages in (oral) fiberoptic intubation over 'standard' ET tubes.
- It is disposable.
Add new comment