Use of video laryngoscopes by inexperienced personnel in difficult intubations

The current gold standard in securing airway patency remains to be endotracheal intubation. It is the only method, which allows for nearly 100% protection of the bronchial tree from aspiration of gastric contents as well as providing the most ideal circumstances for control of ventilation parameters. Endotracheal intu- bation, although in many aspects superior to other methods of securing airways, can only be performed by skilled and experienced personnel in ideal conditions. An example of such conditions are in an operating room in the preoperative period when an anesthesiologist is able to proficiently perform the task with all of the tools and equipment needed at hand. However, in many situations, especially in emergencies, such ideal conditions are difficult or impossible to achieve. One of the many reasons behind this is often the lack of experienced personnel at the scene of an emergency. Another significant difficulty arises from trauma patients who must maintain an immobilized cervical spine, as well as those patients who are undergoing active cardiopulmonary resuscitation when providing high quality chest compressions is the highest priority. Therefore, it seems reasonable to look for the methods which on one hand will secure an airway with a tube inserted directly into the larynx, and on the other hand will make the procedure more accessible to less expe- rienced personnel by maintaining the proper patient safety throughout the whole procedure. A noteworthy method, which achieves this goal, is the use of the video laryngoscopes for endotracheal intubation. The participation in a short introductory training, regarding the use of the device itself, is sufficient to allow for the efficient intubation. The parameters which can be used to compare these different intubation methods include the ease of use, the rate of effectiveness of the first intubation trial as well as the total time needed for the procedure. The authors of this article attempt to compare classic laryngoscopes to video-assisted laryngoscopes.