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Supraglottic airway devices (SADs) have become an essential tool in airway management. Over the past three decades, these devices have been increasingly adopted as an alternative to face mask ventilation and/or endotracheal intubation. The range of proposed uses and features has increased significantly. They are used in pre- and in-hospital settings, elective and emergency anesthesia, in spontaneously breathing and ventilated patients, as conduits for intubation, as a bridge to extubation and for airway rescue. With SADs, serious complications such as aspiration and loss of airway are rare and largely preventable. Adequate operator experience, familiarity with the selected device, attention to details and careful patient selection are fundamental to safety and proficiency. In this review, we explore the increasing proposed uses for SADs and discuss possible complications and the management of these.

Lung transplantation has become a standard treatment for patients with a broad spectrum of end stage lung diseases. Despite this success, many patients die on the waiting list while waiting for appropriate lungs to become available. This review describes the current strategies aimed at addressing this shortage of lungs, as well as summarizing potential future directions in the field. They include efforts to: 1) increase the number of organ donors by legislative action, and education of the public; 2) optimize the management of deceased, potential organ donors; 3) implement optimal criteria to determine organs suitable for transplantation; 4) use ex vivo reconditioning of lungs; and 5) develop xenotransplantation.