Hemodynamic Response to Laryngoscopy and Intubation Using McCoy Laryngoscope: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Laryngoscopy and intubation are stressful as they lead to a rise in heart rate and blood pressure. Though transient, it may be detrimental to the cardiac and neurosurgical patients. There is a need to explore the possibility of obtunding the pressor response to laryngoscopy and intubation with the use of McCoy blade laryngoscope. We aimed to find out the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation using McCoy laryngoscope in adult patients undergoing general anesthesia.

The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 37 American Society of Anesthesiologists' Physical Status I/IIpatients, with normal airway from December 2019- May 2020 in a tertiary care hospital. Ethical approval was obtained from Institutional Research Committee (reference number.: MEMG/IRC/290/GA). Convenience sampling method was used. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured at baseline, one, three and five minutes after laryngoscopy and intubation. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 21.0.

In the first minute after laryngoscopy and intubation, the rise in mean blood pressure was noted in 14 (37.83%) cases. The peak rise in mean blood pressure was 3%, note done minute after laryngoscopy and intubation.

We noted better attenuation of pressor response to laryngoscopy and intubation using McCoy blade laryngoscope in adult patients undergoing general anesthesia.