Routine Use of Videolaryngoscopy in Airway Management

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Emergency Medicine
• Critical Care

Background:

• Tracheal intubation is vital for airway management, with first-attempt success minimizing patient morbidity and mortality.
• Videolaryngoscopy has demonstrated overwhelming benefits for adult tracheal intubation.
• Despite evidence and guidelines, videolaryngoscope use lags behind its availability, particularly post-COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the benefits of videolaryngoscopy in airway management.
• To identify barriers hindering widespread clinical adoption of videolaryngoscopy.
• To emphasize the necessity of training and education for optimal utilization of videolaryngoscopy.

Main Methods:

• Review of current evidence supporting videolaryngoscopy.
• Analysis of obstacles to routine videolaryngoscope implementation.
• Discussion of emerging techniques and future research directions.

Main Results:

• Videolaryngoscopy is increasingly recognized in international guidelines as a first-choice device.
• Barriers include inadequate training, de-skilling concerns, costs, and environmental impact.
• New techniques like awake videolaryngoscopy expand its clinical applications.

Conclusions:

• Videolaryngoscopy is superior to direct laryngoscopy for tracheal intubation.
• Maximal patient benefit requires addressing adoption barriers through training and education.
• Airway managers must gain expertise and routinely use videolaryngoscopy in practice.