Laryngoscopes for difficult airway scenarios: a comparison of the available devices

Novel flangeless video laryngoscope for limited mouth opening

Airway management plays a crucial role in providing adequate oxygenation and ventilation to patients during various medical procedures and emergencies. When patients have a limited mouth opening due to factors such as trauma, inflammation, or anatomical abnormalities airway management becomes challenging. A commonly utilized method to overcome this challenge is the use of video laryngoscopy (VL), which employs a specialized device equipped with a camera and a light source to allow a clear view of the larynx and vocal cords. VL overcomes the limitations of direct laryngoscopy in patients with limited mouth opening, enabling better visualization and successful intubation. Various types of VL blades are available. We devised a novel flangeless video laryngoscope for use in patients with a limited mouth opening and then tested it on a manikin.

Comparison of direct and indirect images and hemodynamic response of two different video laryngoscopes to tracheal intubation

AIMS

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two different videolaryngoscopes (VLs) on direct (through the mouth) and indirect (screen images) laryngoscopy and to evaluate their effects on hemodynamic response.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

A total of 70 patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years with ASA I-III physical status, planned for general anesthesia, with an expected difficult airway, were included in the study. Patients were enrolled in the study between 02/ 2022 and 06/ 2022. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. McGrath video laryngoscope was used in Group MC and Hugemed video laryngoscope was used in Group H. Modified Cormack Lehane and POGO scores (Percentage of glottic opening) of all patients on direct and indirect laryngoscopy were evaluated and recorded and then orotracheal intubation was performed. Demographic data, ASA status, Mallampati classification, thyromental distances and mouth opening were recorded. Standard monitoring was applied to all patients. During intubation, endotracheal intubation time, number of attempts, intubation-related complications and sore throat were recorded. Hemodynamic parameters (mean arterial pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation values) were recorded before, after induction and after intubation.

RESULTS

There was no difference between the groups in terms of descriptive characteristics (p > 0.05). When direct and indirect POGO scores were compared in group MC, no difference was found between the patients (p > 0.05). When direct and indirect POGO scores were compared, no difference was found between patients in Group H (p > 0.05). The mean POGO VL indirect score of Group H patients was found to be significantly higher than that of Group MC (p < 0.035) Both VLs showed similar results in terms of intubation time, number of attempts and hemodynamic findings.

CONCLUSIONS

McGrath and Hugemed videolaryngoscopes provide a good laryngeal view with similar Cormack Lehane scores during non-difficult endotracheal intubation and facilitate successful intubation by maintaining hemodynamic stability. It was observed that the Hugemed VL had a better indirect POGO score, but the images provided by the blades of both VLs on direct laryngoscopy allowed intubation.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT06649526. Clinical trials registration date 17/10/2024 ''retrospectively registered'".

ETView SL versus Macintosh Direct Laryngoscope for Endotracheal Intubation Amid Simulated COVID-19 Cardiac Arrest: A Randomized Crossover Study

Airway management procedures, such as endotracheal intubation (ETI), pose a significant risk of aerosol generation, requiring robust personal protective equipment (PPE) against aerosol-generating procedures (AGP). This study aimed to assess the impact of PPE-AGP on intubation success rates, time to intubation, and glottic visualization using ETView and a standard Macintosh laryngoscope (MAC). A total of 52 physicians participated in this prospective, observational, randomized crossover study conducted in a medical simulation setting. Participants included COVID-19 patients with cardiac arrest scenarios with and without PPE-AGP who were intubated with ETView and MAC. During intubation without PPE-AGP, ETView showed a similar first-pass success rate (FPS) but had a shorter intubation time and better glottal hydration compared to MAC. In scenario B (with PPE-AGP), ETView outperformed MAC in FPS, initiation time, and glottic visualization. The use of PPE-AGP had little impact on ETView's performance. However, it negatively affected the Macintosh laryngoscope, reducing FPS and glottic visibility. Participants found intubation with ETView easier in both scenarios. In conclusion, as compared to the Macintosh laryngoscope, ETView demonstrated higher performance under the circumstances of the simulation, especially when PPE-AGP was used.

A randomized crossover comparison of the bébé VieScope and direct laryngoscope for pediatric airway management by nurses in medical simulation settings

BACKGROUND

Airway management in life-threatening emergencies is essential for children, and endotracheal intubation is the gold standard. It protects against regurgitation and enables mechanical ventilation. New types of airway management equipment are being developed and implemented to meet the needs of medical personnel.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This prospective, randomized, cross-over simulation trial evaluated the success of endotracheal intubation in three scenarios: normal airway (scenario-A), tongue edema (scenario-B), and continuous chest compression (scenario-C), using the bébé Vie Scope™ laryngoscope (VieScope) and the Macintosh blade laryngoscope (MAC) as a comparative tool performed by nurses with limited tracheal intubation experience.

RESULTS

The results of the study showed that in scenario-A, there were no significant differences in the first attempt success rate or endotracheal intubation time between VieScope and MAC. However, VieScope was associated with better visualization of the glottis. In scenarios B and C, VieScope was significantly more effective than MAC in terms of first-pass success rate, time to intubate, Cormack-Lehane grade, POGO score, and ease of endotracheal intubation.

CONCLUSIONS

Bébé VieScope may be useful for endotracheal intubation in pediatric patients, particularly in cases of tongue edema and ongoing chest compression, providing a higher first-pass success rate than conventional laryngoscopes.

Application of difficult endotracheal intubation under fluoroscopy in otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery

PURPOSE

Thyroid cancer, laryngeal cancer and retrosternal goiter are common diseases of head and neck, which often causes difficulty breathing and dyspnea. However, it is usually hard to use conventional methods to deal with this problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an interventional technique for difficult endotracheal intubation (DEI) caused by head and neck diseases.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 35 patients who underwent an interventional technique for difficult endotracheal intubation and evaluated the efficacy of this approach and observe postoperative pulse oxygen saturation (SpO₂), Hugh-Jones grade, and complications.

RESULTS

The procedures were successfully completed in all patients who underwent DEI. The technical and clinical success rate of the procedures was 100%. The average procedure duration was 3.2 ± 1.1 min (range 1-5 min). The patients' postoperative SpO₂ and Hugh-Jones grade improved, and dyspnea symptoms resolved. There were no serious EI-related complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventional EI under fluoroscopy is a safe, simple, and fast method for accurate intubation and an effective method for DEI; furthermore, it allows for subsequent clinical treatment.

Comparison of VividTrac, King Vision and Macintosh laryngoscopes in normal and difficult airways during simulated cardiopulmonary resuscitation among novices

Introduction

Early endotracheal intubation improves neurological outcomes in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, although cardiopulmonary resuscitation is initially carried out by personnel with limited experience in a significant proportion of cases. Videolaryngoscopes might decrease the number of attempts and time needed, especially among novices. We sought to compare videolaryngoscopes with direct laryngoscopes in simulated cardiopulmonary resuscitation scenarios.

Materials and methods

Forty-four medical students were recruited to serve as novice users. Following brief, standardized training, students executed endotracheal intubation with the King Vision^®, Macintosh and VividTrac^® laryngoscopes, on a cardiopulmonary resuscitation trainer in normal and difficult airway scenarios. We evaluated the time to and proportion of successful intubation, the best view of the glottis, esophageal intubation, dental trauma and user satisfaction.

Results

In the normal airway scenario, significantly shorter intubation times were achieved using the King Vision^® than the Macintosh laryngoscope. In the difficult airway scenario, we found that the VividTrac^® was superior to the King Vision^® and Macintosh laryngoscopes in the laryngoscopy time. In both scenarios, we noted no difference in the first-attempt success rate, but the best view of the glottis and dental trauma, esophageal intubation and bougie use were more frequent with the Macintosh laryngoscope than with the videolaryngoscopes. The shortest tube insertion times were achieved using the King Vision^® in both scenarios.

Conclusion

All providers achieved successful intubation within three attempts, but we found no device superior in any of our scenarios regarding the first-attempt success rate. The King Vision^® was superior to the Macintosh laryngoscope in the intubation time in the normal airway scenario and noninferior in the difficult airway scenario for novice users. We noted significantly less esophageal intubation using the videolaryngoscopes than using the Macintosh laryngoscope in both scenarios. Based on our results, the KingVision^® might be recommended over the VividTrac^® and Macintosh laryngoscopes for further evaluation.

The VL3 videolaryngoscope for tracheal intubation in adults: A prospective pilot study

Background:

Videolaryngoscopy (VLS) is recommended by international guidelines for the management of difficult airways. We conducted an observational prospective pilot study to assess the efficacy of the new VL3 videolaryngoscope for routine tracheal intubation (TI) in adults; in terms of success rate, the number of attempts, and maneuver duration, including both normal and difficult airways.

Methods:

This prospective observational pilot study comprised a sample of 56 adult patients undergoing elective general anesthesia. For each patient, we performed VLS by VL3 recording the following data: successful TI rate, number of attempts, time of intubation, time to glottis visualization, Cormack-Lehane grade (CL), need for external laryngeal pressure, and presence of post-laryngoscopy side effects.

Results:

TI was successfully carried out in the totality of patients. In only 4 out of 56 cases, the VL3 offered a CL II. The first attempt intubation was achieved in 48 patients (85.7%). In one case, external laryngeal pressure was needed. No CL III or CL IV were observed. We did not find any significant difference between the predicted difficult airways sample and the rest of the population.

Conclusion:

VL3 videolaryngoscope showed to be an effective and safe device for routine TI, even in those patients with predicted difficult airway. More studies are needed to confirm our findings and verify its efficacy even in other settings.

Comparison of Different Intubation Methods in Difficult Airways during Simulated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation with Continuous Chest Compression: A Randomized Cross-Over Manikin Trial

Introduction

Airway management is one of key elements of resuscitation. Endotracheal intubation is still considered the gold standard for airway management during resuscitation.

Aim

The aim of the study was to compare success rates and intubation time of different endotracheal intubation methods during emergency intubation with difficult airways in the conditions of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a standardized manikin model.

Methods

The study was designed as a prospective, randomized, cross-over simulation study. It involved 46 paramedics with at least 5 years of experience in Emergency Medical Service. The participants performed endotracheal intubation under difficult airway conditions during continuous chest compression, implemented with the LUCAS3 chest compression system. Three methods of tracheal intubation were applied: (1) standard Macintosh laryngoscope without a bougie stylet; (2) standard laryngoscope and a standard bougie stylet; (3) standard laryngoscope and a new bougie stylet.

Results

The overall intubation success rate was 100% in the standard bougie and new bougie groups and lower (86.9%) when no bougie stylet was used (P=0.028). The intubation success rate with the 1^st attempt equalled 91.3% for the new bougie group, 73.9% for standard bougie, and only 23.9% in the no-bougie group. The median intubation time was shortest in the new bougie group, where it amounted to 29 s (interquartile range [IQR]: 25-38); the time equalled 38s (IQR:31-44.5) in the standard bougie group and 47.5s (IQR:36-58) in the no-bougie group. The ease of use was lowest in the no-bougie group (85, IQR:63-88), average in the standard bougie group (44, IQR:30-51), and highest in the new bougie stylet group (32, IQR:19-41).

Conclusion

In this manikin-based study, paramedics were able to perform endotracheal intubation with higher efficacy and in a shorter time using the new bougie stylet as compared with the standard bougie stylet.