Airtraq optical laryngoscope: tracheal intubation by novice laryngoscopists
- Dr Y Hirabayashi, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan; yhira{at}jichi.ac.jp
- Accepted 2 July 2008
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the performance of the Airtraq optical laryngoscope for tracheal intubation by novice laryngoscopists, compared with that of the Macintosh laryngoscope.
Methods: Under supervision by staff anaesthetists, non-anaesthesia physicians performed tracheal intubation using either the Airtraq optical laryngoscope (n = 100) or the Macintosh laryngoscope (n = 100). The time required for airway instrumentation, the number of attempts until successful intubation and erroneous oesophageal intubation were investigated.
Results: The time to secure the airway was shorter with the Airtraq optical laryngoscope than with the Macintosh laryngoscope (p<0.001). The number of attempts until successful intubation was smaller with the Airtraq optical laryngoscope than with the Macintosh laryngoscope (p<0.001). Erroneous oesophageal intubation was less with the Airtraq optical laryngoscope than with the Macintosh laryngoscope (p<0.01).
Conclusion: The Airtraq optical laryngoscope reduces the time to secure the airway and the incidence of failed tracheal intubation by novice laryngoscopists.
Footnotes
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Funding: Support for the study was provided solely from institutional and/or departmental sources.
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Competing interests: None.
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Ethics approval: Ethics approval was obtained.
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Patient consent: Obtained.
