Comparison of Vie Scope® and Macintosh laryngoscopes for intubation during resuscitation by paramedics wearing personal protective equipment.

BACKGROUND: Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is still the gold standard of airway management, but in cases of sudden cardiac arrest in patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection, ETI is associated with risks for both the patient and the medical personnel. We hypothesized that the Vie Scope® is more useful for endotracheal intubation of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cardiac arrest patients than the conventional laryngoscope with Macintosh blade when operators are wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). METHODS: Study was designed as a prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical trial performed by Emergency Medical Services in Poland. Patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation in prehospital setting were included. Patients under 18 years old or with criteria predictive of impossible intubation under direct laryngoscopy, were excluded. Patients were randomly allocated 1:1 to Vie Scope® versus direct laryngoscopy with a Macintosh blade. Study groups were compared on success of intubation attempts, time to intubation, glottis visualization and number of optimization maneuvers. RESULTS: We enrolled 90 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients, aged 43-92 years. Compared to the VieScope® laryngoscope, use of the Macintosh laryngoscope required longer times for tracheal intubation with an estimated mean difference of -48 s (95%CI confidence interval [CI], -60.23, -35.77; p < 0.001). Moreover VieScope® improved first attempt success rate, 93.3% vs. 51.1% respectively (odds ratio [OR] = 13.39; 95%CI: 3.62, 49.58; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of the Vie Scope® laryngoscope in OHCA patients improved the first attempt success rate, and reduced intubation time compared to Macintosh laryngoscope in paramedics wearing PPE for against aerosol generating procedures. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials registration number NCT04365608.

Comparison of the MultiViewScope Stylet Scope and the direct laryngoscope with the Miller blade for the intubation in normal and difficult pediatric airways: A randomized, crossover, manikin study.

BACKGROUND: Managing difficult pediatric airway is challenging. The MultiViewScope (MVS) Stylet Scope is reported to be useful in difficult pediatric airway. In this randomized crossover study, we compared the effectiveness of the MVS Stylet Scope to a standard direct laryngoscope with Miller #1 blade in simulated normal and difficult airways. METHODS: Fifteen expert anesthesiologists and Fifteen anesthesiology residents participated in the study. Participants were asked to perform intubation with the Airsim Baby manikin first, and then with the Airsim Pierre Robin manikin. Participants in each group used the intubation devices in a randomized order. The primary outcome was the time of successful intubation. The secondary outcomes were the force exerted on the incisors during intubation, Cormack-Lehane scale, the difficulty of intubation. RESULTS: There were no differences between MVS Stylet Scope and Direct laryngoscope in the time of successful intubation by the expert anesthesiologists or the anesthesiology residents in a normal or difficult pediatric airway. MVS Stylet Scope significantly improved the force exerted on the incisors during intubation in the expert anesthesiologists or the anesthesiology residents in a normal or difficult pediatric airway. MVS Stylet Scope significantly improved Cormack-Lehane scale, and the difficulty of intubation with difficult pediatric airway situation in both expert anesthesiologists and anesthesiology residents. CONCLUSIONS: Although less forces on the incisors and improved view of glottis were observed with the MVS Stylet Scope, MVS Stylet Scope did not shorten the time of intubation. The results of this study mean that the MVS Stylet Scope may be a less invasive airway devise than the direct laryngoscope with the Miller blade in the pediatric airway management. For the next step, we need to evaluate the MVS Stylet Scope in the real patients as an observational study.

A randomized controlled comparison of non-channeled king vision, McGrath MAC video laryngoscope and Macintosh direct laryngoscope for nasotracheal intubation in patients with predicted difficult intubations.

BACKGROUND: King Vision and McGrath MAC video laryngoscopes (VLs) are increasingly used. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of nasotracheal intubation in patients with predicted difficult intubations using non-channeled King Vision VL, McGrath MAC VL or Macintosh laryngoscope by experienced intubators. METHODS: Ninety nine ASA I or II adult patients, scheduled for oral maxillofacial surgeries with El-Ganzouri risk index 1-7 were enrolled. Patients were randomly allocated to intubate with one of three laryngoscopes (non-channeled King Vision, McGrath MAC and Macintosh). The intubators were experienced with more than 100 successful nasotracheal intubations using each device. The primary outcome was intubation time. The secondary outcomes included first success rate, time required for viewing the glottis, Cormack-Lehane grade of glottis view, the number of assist maneuvers, hemodynamic responses, the subjective evaluating of sensations of performances and associated complications. RESULTS: The intubation time of King Vision and McGrath group was comparable (37.6 ± 7.3 s vs. 35.4 ± 8.8 s) and both were shorter than Macintosh group (46.8 ± 10.4 s, p < 0.001). Both King Vision and McGrath groups had a 100% first attempt success rate, significantly higher than Macintosh group (85%, p < 0.05). The laryngoscopy time was comparable between King Vision and McGrath group (16.7 ± 5.5 s vs. 15.6 ± 6.3 s) and was shorter than Macintosh group (22.8 ± 7.2 s, p < 0.05) also. Compared with Macintosh laryngoscope, Glottis view was obviously improved when exposed with either non-channeled King Vision or McGrath MAC VL (p < 0.001), and assist maneuvers required were reduced (p < 0.001). The maximum fluctuations of MAP were significantly attenuated in VL groups (47.7 ± 12.5 mmHg and 45.1 ± 10.3 mmHg vs. 54.9 ± 10.2 mmHg, p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). Most device insertions were graded as excellent in McGrath group, followed by Macintosh and King Vision group (p = 0.0014). The tube advancements were easier in VLs compared with the Macintosh laryngoscope (p < 0.001). Sore throat was found more frequent in Macintosh group compared with King Vision group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Non-channeled King Vision and McGrath MAC VLs were comparable and both devices facilitated nasotracheal intubation in managing predicted difficult intubations compared with Macintosh laryngoscope. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials registration number NCT03126344 . Registered on April 24, 2017.

A comparison of two hyperangulated video laryngoscope blades to direct laryngoscopy in a simulated infant airway: a bicentric, comparative, randomized manikin study.

BACKGROUND: In infants, securing the airway is time-critical because of anatomical and physiological differences related to airway management in children less than 1 year old. The aim of this study was to compare the time to ventilation using two different hyperangulated video laryngoscope blades with the time to ventilation via conventional direct laryngoscopy in a normal airway [NA] and in a simulated difficult airway [DA]. METHODS: This study was a comparative, bicentric, open-label, randomized controlled evaluation. An infant high-fidelity simulator (SimBaby™; Laerdal® Medical, Stavanger, Norway) was used, and two scenarios were proposed, as follows: NA and DA evoked with tongue edema and cervical collar. After theoretical and practical briefing, each participant compared in the two airway scenarios the novel King Vision™ Pediatric aBlade (KV) (Ambu® A/S, Bad Nauheim, Germany) video laryngoscope and the C-MAC™ D-blade Ped (DB) (Karl Storz® SE & Co. KG, Tuttlingen, Germany) video laryngoscope to conventional laryngoscopy using the Miller Blade (MiB) and the Macintosh Blade (MaB) in a random sequence. RESULTS: Eighty physicians (65 AN and 15 PCCM staff) were included. In the NA scenario, the median [IQR] time to successful time to ventilation (TTV) was significantly shorter for the KV at 13 s [12-15 s] than for the MaB at 14.5 s [13-16 s], DB at 14.5 s [13-16] and MiB at 16 s [14-19] (p < 0.001). In DA, the KV also shortened TTV to 14 s [13-16], whereas TTV was 23 s with the MaB [20-26], 19 s with the DB [16-21], and 27 s with the MiB [22-31] (p < 0.001). There were no differences in first-pass intubation success rates (FPAs) between hyperangulated blades and direct laryngoscopes in NA. In DA, the hyperangulated blades enabled 92 (DB) to 100% (KV) FPAs compared with 65 (MiB) to 76% (MaB) for conventional laryngoscopy (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Video laryngoscopes with hyperangulated blades were associated with shorter TTV in normal and difficult infant airway situations. The higher FPAs of hyperangulated blades in DA may avoid desaturations and decrease adverse events in pediatric airway management.

Emergency Airway Management in a Simulation of Highly Contagious Isolated Patients: Both Isolation Strategy and Device Type Matter.

OBJECTIVE To compare 6 airway-management devices in 3 isolation scenarios regarding their effect on airway management: portable isolation unit (PIU), personal protective equipment (PPE), and standard protection measures METHODS In total, 30 anesthesiologists working in emergency medical services performed airway management on mannequins in 3 isolation settings using 6 different airway management devices (in random order): (1) standard Macintosh laryngoscope; (2) Airtraq SP-video-laryngoscope; (3) i-gel; (4) LMA-Fastrach; (5) Ambu fiberoptic-aScope; and (6) Melker cricothyrotomy-set. Each was assessed regarding time-to-ventilate (primary outcome) and rating of difficulty handling the device. RESULTS In 86% (standard protection) and 85% (PPE) of attempts, airway management was achieved in <60 seconds, irrespective of the device used. In the PIU setting, only 69% of attempts succeeded within this time frame (P<.05). Median time-to-ventilate was shorter for standard protection (23 seconds) and PPE (25 seconds) compared to the PIU (38 seconds; P<.001). In the PIU setting, the fiberscope took the longest (median, 170 seconds), while i-gel was the quickest (median, 13 seconds). The rating of difficulty (visual analogue scale [VAS], 0-100) differed significantly between the isolation scenarios: Airway management was most difficult with PIU (VAS, 76), followed by PPE (VAS, 35), and standard protection (VAS, 9) (P<.01). CONCLUSION Wearing PPE produced similar times-to-ventilate as standard protection among anesthesiologists, but it was subjectively rated more difficult. The portable isolation unit permitted acceptable times-to-ventilate when excluding fiberscope and cricothyrotomy. Supraglottic airway devices allowed the fastest airway management in all isolation scenarios, thus being highly recommendable if a portable isolation unit is used and emergency airway management becomes necessary. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:145-151.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Utility of Lighted Stylet and GlideScope for Double-Lumen Endobronchial Intubation.

OBJECTIVE: To compare GlideScope and lighted stylet for double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) intubation in terms of intubation time, success rate of first attempt at intubation, difficulty in DLT advancement toward the glottis, and postoperative sore throat and hoarseness. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized study. SETTING: Medical center governed by a university hostpial. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-two adult patients undergoing thoracic surgery using DLT intubation. INTERVENTION: After the induction of anesthesia, DLT intubation was performed using GlideScope (n = 32) or lighted stylet (n = 32). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Number of intubation attempts, difficulty of DLT advancement toward the glottis, time taken for DLT intubation, and the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat and hoarseness at 1 and 24 hours after surgery were evaluated. Time taken for DLT intubation was shorter in the lighted stylet group compared with the GlideScope group (30 [28-32] s v 45 [38-53] s, median [interquartile range], respectively; p < 0.001). DLT advancement toward the glottis was easier in the lighted stylet group than in the GlideScope group (p = 0.016). The success rate of DLT intubation in the first attempt (96.9% v 90.6% for lighted stylet and GlideScope, respectively), and the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat and hoarseness were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of lighted stylet allowed easier advancement of the DLT toward the glottis in the oropharyngeal space and reduced time for achieving DLT intubation compared with GlideScope.

Evaluation of the McGrath MAC and Macintosh laryngoscope for tracheal intubation in 2000 patients undergoing general anaesthesia: the randomised multicentre EMMA trial study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The direct laryngoscopy technique using a Macintosh blade is the first choice globally for most anaesthetists. In case of an unanticipated difficult airway, the complication rate increases with the number of intubation attempts. Recently, McGrath MAC (McGrath) video laryngoscopy has become a widely accepted method for securing an airway by tracheal intubation because it allows the visualisation of the glottis without a direct line of sight. Several studies and case reports have highlighted the benefit of the video laryngoscope in the visualisation of the glottis and found it to be superior in difficult intubation situations. The aim of this study was to compare the first-pass intubation success rate using the (McGrath) video laryngoscope compared with conventional direct laryngoscopy in surgical patients. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The EMMA trial is a multicentre, open-label, patient-blinded, randomised controlled trial. Consecutive patients requiring tracheal intubation are randomly allocated to either the McGrath video laryngoscope or direct laryngoscopy using the Macintosh laryngoscope. The expected rate of successful first-pass intubation is 95% in the McGrath group and 90% in the Macintosh group. Each group must include a total of 1000 patients to achieve 96% power for detecting a difference at the 5% significance level. Successful intubation with the first attempt is the primary endpoint. The secondary endpoints are the time to intubation, attempts for successful intubation, the necessity of alternatives, visualisation of the glottis using the Cormack & Lehane score and percentage of glottic opening score and definite complications. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The project was approved by the local ethics committee of the Medical Association of the Rhineland Palatine state and Westphalia-Lippe. The results of this study will be made available in the form of manuscripts for publication and presentations at national and international meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT 02611986; pre-results.

Techniques and outcomes of emergency airway management in Japan: An analysis of two multicentre prospective observational studies, 2010-2016.

OBJECTIVES: Continuous surveillance of emergency airway management practice is imperative in improving quality of care and patient safety. We aimed to investigate the changes in the practice of emergency airway management and the related outcomes in the emergency departments (EDs) in Japan. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of the data from two prospective, observational, multicentre registries of emergency airway management-the Japanese Emergency Airway Network (JEAN)-1 and -2 Registries from April 2010 through May 2016. RESULTS: We recorded 10,927 ED intubations (capture rate, 96%); 10,875 paediatric and adult patients were eligible for our analysis. The rate of rapid sequence intubation (RSI) use as the initial intubation method significantly increased from 28% in 2010 to 53% in 2016 (Ptrend=0.03). Likewise, the rate of video laryngoscope (VL) use as the first intubation device increased significantly from 2% in 2010 to 40% in 2016 (Ptrend<0.001), with a significant decrease in the rate of direct laryngoscope use from 97% in 2010 to 58% in 2016 (Ptrend<0.001). Concurrent with these changes, the overall first-attempt success rate also increased from 68% in 2010 to 74% in 2016 (Ptrend=0.02). By contrast, the rate of adverse events did not change significantly over time (Ptrend=0.06). CONCLUSION: By using data from two large, multicentre, prospective registries, we characterised the current emergency airway management practice, and identified their changes in Japan. The data demonstrated significant increases in the rate of RSI and VL use on the first attempt and the first-attempt success rate over the 6-year study period.

[Airway management in intensive care units in Rhineland-Palatinate : Evolution over five years]. / Atemwegssicherung auf Intensivstationen in Rheinland-Pfalz : Entwicklung über fünf Jahre.

BACKGROUND: Securing the airway in severely ill patients is associated with a high rate of complications. So far, no information exists about the equipment readily available for airway management in German intensive care units (ICUs). It is also unknown if the range of material has improved over time. OBJECTIVES: In the present trial the availability of equipment for airway management in ICUs in Rhineland-Palatinate was evaluated at two different times. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a structured questionnaire, all ICUs in the state were contacted in the years 2010 and 2015. The availability of different types of equipment for airway management, as well as the presence of a training program for airway management, was evaluated. RESULTS: For 2010 data from 64 ICUs were evaluated and for 2015 data sets from 63 ICUs were collected. In 2010 indirect laryngoscopes were available in eight ICUs; in 2015 these devices were directly accessible in 43 units (p < 0.0001). Extraglottic devices were available in all but one ICU in 2010 and all ICUs in 2015. Equipment for emergency surgical airway procedures was available in nearly every ICU (n = 60). The availability of capnography increased significantly from 2010 (n = 12) to 2015 (n = 56; p < 0.0001). In 2010 and 2015, frequent training with a focus on airway management was performed in 23 and 32 units, respectively (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Most ICUs in Rhineland-Palatinate have a broad range of equipment for airway management available, and the range has significantly improved over the time period evaluated. The availability of indirect laryngoscopes and capnometers improved significantly. However, it is remarkable that in some ICU's there is still a lack of equipment for advanced airway management.

Comparison of Metal and Plastic Disposable Laryngoscope Blade with Reusable Macintosh Blade in Difficult and Inhalation Injury Airway Scenario: A Manikin Study.

BACKGROUND: Single-use plastic blades (SUPB) and single-use metal blades (SUMB) for direct laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation have not yet been compared with reusable metal blades (RUMB) in difficult airway scenarios. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our manikin study was to compare the effectiveness of these different laryngoscope blades in a difficult airway scenario, as well as in a difficult airway scenario with simulated severe inhalation injury. METHODS: Thirty anesthetists performed tracheal intubation (TI) with each of the three laryngoscope blades in the two scenario manikins. RESULTS: In the inhalation injury scenario, SUPB were associated with prolonged intubation times when compared with the metal blades. In the inhalation injury scenario, both metal laryngoscope blades provided a quicker, easier, and safer TI. In the difficult airway scenario, intubation times were significantly prolonged in the SUPB group in comparison to the RUMB group, but there were no significant differences between the SUPB and the SUMB. In this scenario, the RUMB demonstrated the shortest intubation times and seems to be the most effective device. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, results are in line with previous studies showing significant disadvantages of SUPB in both manikin scenarios. Therefore, metal blades might be beneficial, especially in the airway management of patients with inhalation injury.

Comparison of Macintosh, McCoy and C-MAC D-Blade video laryngoscope intubation by prehospital emergency health workers: a simulation study.

The aim of the this study is to evaluate the intubation success rates of emergency medical technicians using a Macintosh laryngoscope (ML), McCoy laryngoscope (MCL), and C MAC D-Blade (CMDB) video laryngoscope on manikin models with immobilized cervical spines. This randomized crossover study included 40 EMTs with at least 2 years' active service in ambulances. All participating technicians completed intubations in three scenarios-a normal airway model, a rigid cervical collar model, and a manual in-line cervical stabilization model-with three different laryngoscopes. The scenario and laryngoscope model were determined randomly. We recorded the scenario, laryngoscope method, intubation time in seconds, tooth pressure, and intubation on a previously prepared study form. We performed Friedman tests to determine whether there is a significant change in the intubation success rate, duration of tracheal intubation, tooth pressure, and visual analog scale scores due to violations of parametric test assumptions. We performed the Wilcoxon test to determine the significance of pairwise differences for multiple comparisons. An overall 5 % type I error level was used to infer statistical significance. We considered a p value of less than 0.05 statistically significant. The CMDB and MCL success rates were significantly higher than the ML rates in all scenario models (p < 0.05). The CMDB intubation duration was significantly shorter when compared with ML and MCL in all models. CMDB and MCL may provide an easier, faster intubation by prehospital emergency health care workers in patients with immobilized cervical spines.

Near-zero difficult tracheal intubation and tracheal intubation failure rate with the "Besta Airway Algorithm" and "Glidescope® in morbidly obese" (GLOBE).

BACKGROUND: Unpredicted Difficult Tracheal Intubation (DTI) with Macintosh occurs frequently in obese patients. We investigated the incidence of DTI using an algorithm based on preoperative assessment with the El-Ganzouri Risk Index (EGRI) and Glidescope® routine use. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled morbidly obese patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Patients were scheduled for Glidescope® intubation under general anesthesia if EGRI was <7 or awake Flexible Fiber-optic Intubation if EGRI was ≥7. The primary outcome was the DTI rate, defined as Cormack and Lehane grades ≥III, Intubation Difficulty Scale >5 and modified Intubation Difficulty Scale >5. Secondary outcomes included intubation success on the first attempt, the Time to Cormack, the time to intubation, failure to intubate, oxygen desaturation and difficult ventilation. RESULTS: Of the 214 patients enrolled, 212 (99%) were intubated with Glidescope® and 2 (1%) with awake Flexible Fiber-optic Intubation (one electively, one after a Glidescope® failure). There were no cases of DTI assessed using Cormack and Lehane and Intubation Difficulty Scale, and 3 cases (1.4%; 95% CI 0.45-4.29%) assessed using modified Intubation Difficulty Scale. Of the 213 patients intubated with Glidescope®, 185 (87%) had successful intubation on the first attempt. Mean Time to Cormack and time to intubation were 13.1 (SD 9.6) and 38.1 seconds (SD 21.1) respectively. We had one case (0.5%) of failed Glidescope® intubation and no cases of clinically significant complications. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of DTI and Intubation Failure was reduced to near-zero using Glidescope® and the Besta Airway Algorithm in this sample of morbidly obese patients.

Comparison of the Macintosh, GlideScope®, Airtraq®, and King Vision™ laryngoscopes in routine airway management.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that the use of the channeled King Vision™ and Airtraq® would shorten the time for tracheal intubation compared with the Macintosh or GlideScope® laryngoscopes in patients with normal airways. METHODS: Eighty-six patients were randomly assigned to intubate the trachea using either the Macintosh (N.=22), Glidescope® (N.=21), Airtraq® (N.=21), or King Vision™ (N.=22) laryngoscope. The primary outcome was the time to tracheal intubation. Secondary outcomes included the laryngoscopic view, numbers of laryngoscopy attempts, first-pass success rate, optimization maneuvers, ease of intubation, and postoperative sore throat. RESULTS: Compared with the Macintosh and GlideScope®, the use of the channeled videolaryngoscopes had significantly longer times to tracheal intubation (mean times: Airtraq® 44 s [95% CI: 39.6 to 46.7]; King Vision™ 34.5 s [95% CI: 33.1 to 40.2]; Macintosh 20 s [95% CI: 19.7 to 26.7]; GlideScope® 27.9 s [95% CI: 25.1 to 30.7], P<0.002) and caused less mucosal trauma (P=0.006). The King Vision™ is slightly faster than the Airtraq® (P=0.035). Compared with the Macintosh and the Airtraq®, the GlideScope® was easier to use (P<0.001). The 4 groups had comparable glottis views, number of laryngoscopy and optimising manoeuvres and first attempt success rate. The Airtraq® and King Vision™ had a lower incidence of sore throat than with the Macintosh or GlideScope® (P=0.001). No patient had failed intubation. CONCLUSIONS: The King Vision™ and Airtraq® require longer intubation times, as primary outcome, and cause less sore throat than the Macintosh and GlideScope® when used by anesthesiologists with limited experience in patients with normal airways. Our conclusion is difficult to extrapolate to the expert anesthesiologists who are using videolaryngoscopes on a regular basis.

Use of the GlideScope®-Ranger for pre-hospital intubations by anaesthesia trained emergency physicians - an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Pre-hospital endotracheal intubation is more difficult than in the operating room (OR). Therefore, enhanced airway management devices such as video laryngoscopes may be helpful to improve the success rate of pre-hospital intubation. We describe the use of the Glidescope®-Ranger (GS-R) as an alternative airway tool used at the discretion of the emergency physician (EP) in charge. METHODS: During a 3.5 year period, the GS-R was available to be used either as the primary or backup tool for pre-hospital intubation by anaesthesia trained EP with limited expertise using angulated videolaryngoscopes. RESULTS: During this period 672 patients needed pre-hospital intubation of which the GS-R was used in 56 cases. The overall GS-R success rate was 66 % (range of 34-100 % among EP). The reasons for difficulties or failure included inexperience of the EP with the GS-R, impaired view due to secretion, vomitus, blood or the inability to see the screen in very bright environment due to sunlight. CONCLUSION: Special expertise and substantial training is needed to successfully accomplish tracheal intubation with the GS-R in the pre-hospital setting. Providers inexperienced with DL as well as video-assisted intubation should not expect to be able to perform tracheal intubation easily just because a videolaryngoscope is available. Additionally, indirect laryngoscopy might be difficult or even impossible to achieve in the pre-hospital setting due to impeding circumstances such as blood, secretions or bright sun-light. Therefore, videolaryngoscopes, here the GS-R, should not be considered as the "Holy Grail" of endotracheal intubation, neither for the experts nor for inexperienced providers.

[Out-of-hospital airway management in trauma patients : Experiences with the C-MAC® video laryngoscope]. / Präklinische Atemwegssicherung bei Traumapatienten : Erfahrungen mit dem C-MAC®-Videolaryngoskop.

BACKGROUND: Securing the airway is the top priority in trauma resuscitation. The most important factor for successful endotracheal intubation (ETI) is good visualization of the vocal cords. The aim of this study was to summarize the practical experiences with the C-MAC® video laryngoscope as initial device in out-of-hospital airway management of trauma patients. METHODS: The C-MAC® video laryngoscope uses standard Macintosh shaped laryngoscope blades. At the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Christoph 22 it is used as the initial device for every out-of-hospital ETI. All prehospital data on ETI involving trauma patients were documented for a period of 17 months. RESULTS: A total of 116 out-of-hospital ETIs were enrolled in this study (overall success rate 100 %). In 88.8 % the first attempt was successful, whereas in 10.3 % a second and in 0.9 % a third ETI attempt was necessary. No patient required alternative airway devices or surgical airway interventions. The results of a subgroup with an immobilized cervical spine (n = 17) did not show any increased difficulties. CONCLUSION: The use of the C-MAC® video laryngoscope by experienced anesthesiologists in an out-of-hospital setting seems to be a safe method even in patients with an immobilized cervical spine. Adverse laryngoscopy results (C/L III and IV) were reduced compared to other studies.

Improvement in glottic visualisation by using the C-MAC PM video laryngoscope as a first-line device for out-of-hospital emergency tracheal intubation: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Out-of-hospital tracheal intubation is associated with life-threatening complications. To date, no study has compared direct and video laryngoscopic views simultaneously in the same patients in an out-of-hospital setting. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of C-MAC PM video laryngoscope on laryngeal view, compared with direct laryngoscopy, and to estimate possible consequences for patient safety. DESIGN: An observational, single-centre study. SETTING: Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) 'CHRISTOPH 22', Ulm, Germany. PATIENTS: Two-hundrend and twenty-eight emergency patients undergoing airway management out of hospital. INTERVENTIONS: Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation using C-MAC PM video laryngoscope. For all intubations, the HEMS physician used CMAC PM as the first-line device and performed an initial direct laryngoscopy followed by a video laryngoscopy, without changing the laryngoscope blade. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The difference in laryngeal view was recorded as well as the number of intubation attempts along with the success rate and difficulties in airway management. Improvement in glottic visualisation from Cormack and Lehane grade III/IV to I/II was rated as being clinically relevant. RESULTS: During a 20-month study period, a total of 228 out-of-hospital emergency patients requiring tracheal intubation were included. The overall success rate in securing the airway was 100%. For 226 patients (99.1%), tracheal intubation was successful with two or fewer attempts. For comparison of direct and indirect laryngoscopic views, five patients were excluded because of the use of an indirect laryngoscope blade. Of 223 patients, 120 had a glottic view rated as Cormack and Lehane grade II to IV with direct laryngoscopy; in these patients, visualisation of the glottis was significantly improved with the C-MAC PM video laryngoscope (P < 0.001). In 56 patients (25.1%), improvement of glottic visualisation was clinically relevant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Use of the C-MAC PM video laryngoscope is associated with improved visualisation of the glottis according to the Cormack and Lehane grading system and an excellent success rate for out-of-hospital tracheal intubation. These results suggest that the use of C-MAC PM as a first-line device for tracheal intubation by out-of-hospital emergency medical services is a safe procedure.

Comparison of the Miller Laryngoscope and Videolaryngoscope for Tracheal Intubation by Novice Doctors during Neonatal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Randomized Crossover Simulation Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Recent guidelines for neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation emphasize the importance of adequate ventilation. In cases of failed resuscitation with positive pressure ventilation, tracheal intubation and chest compressions are recommended. The present study compared the utility of the Miller laryngoscope (Mil) and the videolaryngoscope Pentax-AWS Airway Scope (AWS; Hoya, Tokyo, Japan) with an infant or neonatal-sized Intlock (AWS-N; Pentax) during chest compressions on a neonatal manikin. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 23 novice doctors performed tracheal intubation on a neonatal manikin using the Mil and AWS-N, with or without chest compressions. RESULTS: In the Mil trials, all participants secured the airway without chest compressions, but nine failed with compressions (p < 0.001). In AWS-N trials, all participants succeeded regardless of whether chest compressions were performed or not. Intubation time was significantly longer with chest compressions with the Mil (p < 0.001), but not with the AWS-N. Laryngoscopy difficulty, as assessed by a visual analog scale (VAS), increased significantly with chest compressions with the Mil, but not with the AWS-N, while the VAS for tube passage through the glottis increased with compressions with the Mil, but not with the AWS-N. CONCLUSION: The AWS-N is an effective device for endotracheal intubation during chest compressions in neonatal simulations performed by novice doctors.

Comparison of the C-MAC(®) and GlideScope(®) videolaryngoscopes in patients with cervical spine disorders and immobilisation.

In-line stabilisation of the neck can increase the difficulty of tracheal intubation with direct laryngoscopy. We randomly assigned 56 patients with cervical spine pathology scheduled for elective surgery to tracheal intubation using either the C-MAC(®) (n = 26) or GlideScope(®) (n = 30), when the head and neck were stabilised in-line. There was no significant difference in the median (IQR [range]) intubation times between the C-MAC (19 (14-35 [9-90]) s and the GlideScope (23, (15-32 [8-65]) s. The first-attempt failure rate for the C-MAC was 42% (95% CI 23-63%) compared with 7% (95% CI 1-22%) for the GlideScope, p = 0.002. The laryngeal view was excellent and comparable with both devices, with the C-MAC requiring significantly more attempts and optimising manoeuvers (11 vs 5, respectively, p = 0.04). There were no significant differences in postoperative complaints e.g. sore throat, hoarseness and dysphagia. Both devices provided an excellent glottic view in patients with cervical spine immobilisation, but tracheal intubation was more often successful on the first attempt with the GlideScope.