Simple head lift may improve breathing tube placement in tough cases
NCT ID NCT04716218
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether raising a patient's head and upper body (back-up head elevated position) helps doctors see the vocal cords better when using a video-laryngoscope. Sixty-four adults scheduled for surgery under general anesthesia participated. All wore a stiff neck collar to simulate a difficult airway. The researchers measured how much of the vocal cords could be seen and how quickly the breathing tube was placed.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this simple positioning technique could make intubation easier and safer for patients with limited neck movement.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with simulated difficult airways, not real patients. Real-world results may differ, and the technique may not help in all cases.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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64 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2021
- Finished
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Mar 2021
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * patients of ASA physical status 1-2 who were scheduled for elective surgery under general anaesthesia requiring tracheal intubation Exclusion Criteria: * if they required rapid sequence induction; had a history of previous difficult direct laryngoscopy and required awake tracheal intubation; were unable or unwilling to provide informed consent; had uncontrolled hypertension; had a history of ischaemic heart disease without optimal control of symptoms; had a history of acute or recent stroke or myocardial infarction; had cervical spine instability or cervical myelopathy; had symptomatic asthma or reactive airway disease requiring daily pharmacological treatment for control of symptoms; or had a history of gastric reflux.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine
Seoul, South Korea
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