Comparison of fiberoptic bronchoscope and video stylet during endotracheal intubation: simulation study

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The UE Video Stylet VL400-S2 (UE Medical Devices, Newton, MA, USA) and Ambu aScope (Ambu, Copenhagen, Denmark) were recently introduced rigid video stylets and single-use fiberoptic bronchoscopes, respectively. To compare the utility of the two sets of equipment, this study conducted a randomized cross-over study using a manikin. METHODS: Twenty-eight novice doctors performed tracheal intubation on an airway trainer manikin (Laerdal, Stavanger, Norway). The sequence of intubation devices was randomized. The following data were measured and recorded time to complete tracheal intubation (primary end point), overall success rate, time to see the glottis, and time to tube passage. RESULTS: The video stylet (24 seconds; interquartile range [IQR] 18–36) showed a significantly shorter completion time of the tracheal intubation than the fiberoptic bronchoscope (43 seconds; IQR, 32–84) (P<0.001). The overall success rate of tracheal intubation was 96.4% (27/28) in the video stylet and 82.1% (23/28) in the fiberoptic bronchoscope, and the cumulative success rate over time to complete intubation was significantly higher in the video stylet (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The video stylet was superior to the fiberoptic bronchoscope in terms of the time to complete and the cumulative success rate of intubation for novice operators in manikin model. Further research will be needed to determine the degree of education required to use fiberoptic bronchoscopy.