Comparing Direct and Video Laryngoscopy Skills Between Resident and Attending Emergency Physicians

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Education
• Airway Management

Background:

• Advancements in airway technology, particularly video laryngoscopy, necessitate continuous skill development for emergency medicine physicians.
• Maintaining proficiency in both traditional and novel intubation techniques is essential for optimal patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare intubation times and outcomes between emergency medicine residents and attending physicians using direct laryngoscopy and two types of video laryngoscopes.
• To evaluate the impact of experience and technology on airway management proficiency.

Main Methods:

• Fifty emergency medicine residents and attending physicians performed mannequin intubations using direct laryngoscopy, C-MAC video laryngoscopy, and GlideScope video laryngoscopy.
• Key metrics recorded included intubation time, success rate, accuracy, Cormack-Lehane grade, and perceived ease of use.

Main Results:

• Second-year residents exhibited significantly faster intubation times across all modalities compared to attending physicians.
• Residents, especially second-year, showed improved performance with video laryngoscopy, including faster times and greater accuracy with the GlideScope.
• Direct laryngoscopy skills showed potential for deterioration if not regularly practiced.

Conclusions:

• Second-year residents outperformed attending physicians in intubation speed and accuracy, highlighting the effectiveness of their training and practice.
• Attending physicians require dedicated practice for newer video laryngoscopy techniques to match resident proficiency.
• Regular practice is vital for maintaining direct laryngoscopy skills among all physicians.