First-Pass Success Intubations Using Video Laryngoscopy Versus Direct Laryngoscopy: A Retrospective Prehospital...

In emergency medicine, endotracheal intubation is the gold standard for airway management. First-pass intubation success is beneficial because it secures the patient airway more quickly and avoids complications associated with repeated attempts, such as bleeding and swelling of soft tissue. The key to first-pass success is the ability to visualize the laryngeal inlet. Visualization can be accomplished using traditional direct laryngoscopy or video laryngoscopy. The purpose of our study was to compare the rate of successful first-pass endotracheal intubations using a video laryngoscope with that using a direct visualization laryngoscope in a prehospital emergency setting.

We retrospectively reviewed data that had been prospectively collected in our emergency department regarding patients who underwent endotracheal intubation performed by personnel from a single local ambulance service from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2015.

One hundred eighty-one patients were intubated using video laryngoscopy and 115 using direct visualization laryngoscopy. The first-pass endotracheal intubation success rate using video laryngoscopy was 12.6% higher than with direct laryngoscopy.

This retrospective study shows that video laryngoscopy had a higher first-pass success rate than direct laryngoscopy. This is promising because decreasing failure rates provide better patient outcomes.