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A comparison of the suction laryngoscope and the Macintosh laryngoscope in emergency medical technicians: a manikin model of severe airway haemorrhage
  1. T Mitterlechner1,
  2. A Wipp2,
  3. H Herff1,
  4. V Wenzel1,
  5. A M Strasak3,
  6. T W Felbinger4,
  7. C A Schmittinger1,5
  1. 1Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
  2. 2Emergency Medical Service, Bavarian Red Cross, Section Augsburg County, Zusmarshausen, Germany
  3. 3Department of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Health Econonomics, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
  4. 4Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Neuperlach Hospital, Munich Municipal Hospital Group, Munich, Germany
  5. 5Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Bern University Hospital (Inselspital) and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
  1. Correspondence to Dr C A Schmittinger, Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Bern University Hospital (Inselspital) and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; christian.schmittinger{at}gmail.com

Abstract

The use of a suction laryngoscope that enables simultaneous suction and laryngoscopy was evaluated. 34 emergency medical technicians intubated the trachea of a manikin with simulated upper airway haemorrhage using the suction laryngoscope and the Macintosh laryngoscope, in random order. When using the suction laryngoscope, the number of oesophageal intubations was lower (3/34 vs 11/34; p=0.021) and the time taken to intubation was shorter (mean (SD) 50 (15) vs 58 (27) s; p=0.041). In cases of airway haemorrhage, the use of the suction laryngoscope might be beneficial.

  • airway
  • clinical assessment, effectiveness
  • emergency ambulance systems
  • emergency care systems, primary care
  • respiratory

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Footnotes

  • Funding This study was supported, in part, by the Austrian National Bank Science Foundation grant 11448, Vienna, Austria.

  • Competing interests None.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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