TY - JOUR T1 - Airtraq optical laryngoscope: tracheal intubation by novice laryngoscopists JF - Emergency Medicine Journal JO - Emerg Med J SP - 112 LP - 113 DO - 10.1136/emj.2008.059659 VL - 26 IS - 2 AU - Y Hirabayashi AU - N Seo Y1 - 2009/02/01 UR - http://emj.bmj.com/content/26/2/112.abstract N2 - 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. ER -