A miniature lighted stylet for fast oral endotracheal intubation in rabbits

Efficient oral endotracheal intubation of laboratory animals is a challenging technique in veterinary research. This study introduces a miniaturized lighted stylet for rabbit intubation. An experiment with repeated measures on two factors was used to assess the feasibility and efficacy of this method. The first factor compared stylet intubation vs. laryngoscopic intubation. The second compared three practitioners, one with prior experience and two without. Success rates on the initial attempt were not statistically different (χ(2)=2.46, P=0.12). The time difference between methods was significant (F=41.007, P<0.001), although the effect of practitioners was not (F=1.038, P=0.365). The mean±SD of the intubation time, combining results from the three practitioners, was 20.34±17.15s for the stylet method and 57.58±64.21s for the laryngoscopic method. The results of this study demonstrate that lighted stylet intubation is efficient, robust, and independent of practitioner experience.