Sex Disparities in Applied Force on Maxillary Incisors Among Novices During Laryngoscopy Using a High-Fidelity...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Simulation-based training
• Airway management

Background:

• Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a critical medical procedure.
• The influence of the laryngoscopist's sex on ETI performance is not well understood.
• Novice practitioners' skill acquisition in ETI is an area of ongoing research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential sex-based disparities in endotracheal intubation (ETI) performance among novice medical students.
• To compare the force applied to maxillary incisors and time to ETI between male and female participants using a high-fidelity simulator.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study involving 209 medical students (4th/5th grade) with no prior clinical ETI experience.
• Participants performed ETI on a high-fidelity simulator using direct or video laryngoscopes with different intubation aids.
• Automated sensors measured maximum force on maxillary incisors and time to successful ETI.

Main Results:

• Male participants applied approximately 30% less maximum force on maxillary incisors compared to female participants (P < 0.001).
• Male participants achieved ETI approximately 10% faster than female participants (P < 0.05).
• These differences were consistent across various laryngoscopes and intubation aids.

Conclusions:

• Novice male medical students demonstrated lower applied force and faster intubation times in a simulated environment compared to their female counterparts.
• Findings suggest potential sex-based differences in initial ETI performance metrics.
• Further clinical research is warranted to validate these simulation-based findings in real-world patient care scenarios.