Testimonials

Denture Extraction

Dr. Patrick Fitzgerald is an ENT/Otolaryngologist who practices in the San Diego area. In June of 2010, while on call for emergency service at a local hospital, Dr. Fitzgerald was summoned to the emergency room to consult on treatment of an elderly patient who had been brought to the ER from a nursing home after swallowing his partial denture. The denture had been lodged in his upper airway for several hours, and the patient was in considerable distress. 

Upon gross examination of the patient, Dr. Fitzgerald notified the ER staff that an endoscopic surgical procedure would likely be necessary to locate and remove the denture, as the patient's upper airway was, by then, complicated by the presence of blood and other secretions. The denture was not visible with the ER's standard fiber optic laryngoscope due to its position in the larynx and considerable reflection and glare from the light source of the laryngoscope blade. 

Before beginning an endoscopic procedure, however, Dr. Fitzgerald decided to run back to his car, where he had an IntuBrite laryngoscope system in his trunk. Retrieving the kit, and utilizing an IntuBrite E-Classic handle and Macintosh 3 blade, he was able to access the patient's upper airway, visualize the denture and successfully grasp and remove it. 

"The view provided by the IntuBrite laryngoscope scope was superior", stated Dr. Fitzgerald. "Given the complexity of the case, I felt that the probability of success through a non-endoscopic approach with this patient was very low. However, the dual UV/white LED light yielded a brilliant view with minimal glare and feedback, and enabled visualization of the patient's airway with excellent depth and detail despite all of the fluids present. " 

"While I have used the IntuBrite system in numerous intubations with very good results in a wide variety of patient anatomies, through this experience in particular with a highly complicated airway, I now have no doubt that the performance of this system exceeds by far that of any other laryngoscope".

Haitian Relief Strike Team Port Au Prince, Haiti

" First off I would like to say thank you for your donation of the Intubrite Intubation Handles, Blades and Stylette's. My initial call to go to Haiti was only 10 days prior to departure. The team I travelled with was new to me and I was unsure of the medical qualifications of my teammates. I immediately email a dozen vendors for donation of equipment that would increase my effectiveness in austere conditions. I only could imagine what I was going to experience when I landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

From the first 5 minutes through the door of Hopital Adventiste d'Haiti the action begun. Myself and our team Doctor were rushed to the operating room to help with a emergency c-section and take care of the 30 week premature baby that was imminently delivering. In the U.S. this delivery would have a team of Neonatal specialists and 50 people to ensure the babies' well-being but not in Haiti. Just a few brave E.R. nurses a Critical Care Adult Doctor and me a Team Paramedic!

Throughout the week I had deployed a intubation set in the Operating Room and gave the Anesthesia folks a run down and I kept a set for myself in a Tactical Pouch on my belt at all times. I had my favorite blade Mac 4 and a Miller 00 and a few E.T. tubes in this pouch. Some folks thought it may be a little overboard but I wanted to have my Airway, Breathing and Circulation equipment close for immediate use if the need presented itself. And it did. I transported the 30 week old premie to a different hospital 45 miles away and upon arrival of the Neonatal unit the Volunteering Doctor was in the midst of a difficult pediatric intubation. He asked if I was good at intubation and if I could help. I quickly responded and opened my kit grabbed a handle and my Miller 00 blade and proceeded to intubate the patient with the help of the Physician. The Doctors were amazed at the Intubtrite handle and blade! These are world famous Neonatologists from Italy! Of course they wanted me to donate this equipment to them but I couldn't let go of the one I had to a different Hospital. I wanted to donate it to our hosting facility first. I did get their names and email addresses. Unfortunately for this intubation I didn't get any pictures.

The second opportunity for me was a 38 year Haitian man that presented with pain in his right leg for 24 hours. We had determined that the patient had a very aggressive spreading infection in his muscles and would need an amputation and multiple I.V. antibiotics. With the prior arrangement in the operating room to use the Intubrite gear. We prepared the patient for surgery, I was ready. The Anesthesiologist put our patient to sleep and I proceeded to intubate him for the long road ahead. We had a portable ventilator ready for the patient post-operative. Our team headed by Dr. David Alan Marks went to work immediately to aggressively attack the infection that had spread to this man's whole body. We worked for several hours to combat the sepsis and shock. We knew the infection got the upper hand. The patient passed away that night despite our best efforts. Throughout the rest of the week the Intubrite gear was the first line equipment everyone wanted to use and even though there was other laryngoscopes near by Intubrite was the preferred equipment of choice.

Thank you again for being compassionate and donating the gear. It has found a happy home in the E.R. and O.R. of the Hopital Adventiste d'Haiti." 

Sincerely,
Jordan Owen, Captain EMT-P
Bass Lake Fire Department

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, CA

"On May 4th 2010 the paramedic engine company I was assigned to responded on a mutual aid for a "man down, CPR in progress." When we arrived on scene our crew took over pt care from the BLS fire department and continued care. The victim was pulseless and apneic upon our arrival. Asystole was confirmed in two leads on our cardiac monitor. A BLS airway was being maintained with a good mask to face seal, good rise and fall of the chest, with no need for suction. CPR was continued while I established an IV and ALCS medications were administered. After the victim was loaded into the ambulance I found myself facing a difficult airway to manage due to the fact that the victim had now begun to vomit and was in need of suctioning. Also the victims vocal chords were severely anterior making intubation that much harder. Using the Intubrite laryngascope I inserted the blade to open the victims airway with the up and forward motion. The laryngascopes unique curved handle design made these motions feel natural and smooth. Now I still had the visibility issue to deal with due to the vomit in the airway. I found that while actively suctioning with the laryngascopes blade in place, the Intubrites unique black light/white light system lit up the oropharynx and vocal chords like a runway in the dark of night. I was easily able to make visual confirmation of the tube passing the chords due to the florescent green stylet .passing through the highly illuminated bright white vocal chords. The victims airway was secured with the ET tube on the first attempt. Without this new tool this airway would have been more difficult and time consuming to place due to poor visibility.

Intubrites new design makes this laryngascope a must have in the EMS field when dealing with any intubations. The curved handle makes the proper way of opening the airway feel much more natural and the lights on the blade make the vocal chords glow allowing you to place the ET tube with confidence and increase your success rate on first attempts."

Professionally,
Jeff Joyce
Firefighter/Paramedic
Marine Corps Logistics Base
Barstow, CA