AANA Journal: Retire the Conventional Laryngoscope?-Retire the Conventional Laryngoscope?

Retire the Conventional Laryngoscope?

Pdf Summary

The document discusses the use of video laryngoscopy (VL) as an alternative to direct laryngoscopy (DL) for endotracheal intubation by anesthesia providers in the operating room. Six randomized controlled trials were analyzed, showing no significant differences in first-pass success rate, time to intubation, and occurrence of oropharyngeal trauma between VL and DL. While some studies favored VL over DL, others did not find any significant benefit in using VL for all adult intubations. The evidence suggested that anesthesia providers should continue using DL for routine adult intubations, with VL readily available for difficult cases. The studies were not consistently powered to measure all outcomes, indicating a need for larger studies in the future. Factors such as experience, cost, availability, and ease of use should be considered when deciding between VL and DL for intubations. The authors recommend cautious evaluation of patients and having a video laryngoscope ready for unexpected difficult intubations. Further research is necessary to determine the optimal approach for adult intubations.

Keywords

video laryngoscopy

direct laryngoscopy

endotracheal intubation

anesthesia providers

operating room

randomized controlled trials

first-pass success rate

oropharyngeal trauma

difficult intubations

optimal approach