LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Morbidly Obese Patients and Tracheal Intubation

Dear Mrs. Editor,

Based on publications in which some authors propose the placement of pillows under the shoulders and head of obese patients to help tracheal intubation, Dr. Ricardo Francisco Simoni has developed a very useful device. It is a trapezoidal device, fruit of observation of the position obtained with pillows.

I have encouraged Dr. Ricardo to send a Letter to the Editor aiming at spreading his invention. This device is routinely used in our service for tracheal intubation of obese patients and we have called it "Simoni's Trapeze" in analogy with "Crawford's Wedge".

I believe that the invention is worth being divulgated.

Yours truly.

Luiz M. Cangiani, TSA, M.D.
Member of BJA Editorial Board
Chef of Anesthesiology and Pain Treatment Department, Medical Center of Campinas
Address: Av. Andrade Neves 611
ZIP: 13013-161 City: Campinas, Brazil