Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Image Acquisition using Portable Sonography for Emergency Airway Management
Published on: September 28, 2022
Exploring the potential role of augmented-reality smart glasses in the management of the difficult airway. The
Emilio Rodriguez-Ruiz1, Silvia Aranda-García2, Rita García-Fernández3
1Intensive Care Medicine Department, University Clinic Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Galician Public Health System (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Simulation, Life Support & Intensive Care Research Unit of Santiago de Compostela (SICRUS), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain; CLINURSID Research Group, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Objective:
To evaluate the potential role of augmented-reality smart glasses (A-SGs) for the assistance of residents in airway management.
Design:
Observer-blinded, parallel-group, randomised trial.
Setting:
An integrated clinical simulation centre.
Participants:
Residents involved in critically ill patient care.
Interventions:
Each participant performed a baseline endotracheal intubation (ETI) trial and a follow-up ETI trial (M1). Before M1 participants were randomly assigned either to the control group (unguided) or to the intervention group (tele-guided with A-SGs). No support was provided to participants during the M0 or during M1 in the control group. Residents allocated to A-SGs received real-time audio and video guidance from an expert in airway management.
Main Variables:
Sociodemographic variables, the execution of each ETI step, the ETI efficacy ETI, and all procedural times.
Results:
The 39 residents obtained comparable results at M0. During M1, participants tele-guided with A-SGs performed the ETI in a more organised and structured way, especially when inserting the endotracheal tube (p = 0.003) and checking its proper placement (p < 0.001). Higher ETI efficacy was observed in the intervention group compared with the control (p < 0.001). Within the intervention group itself, significant improvement in intubation efficacy was observed between M0 and M1 (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
A-SGs tele-assistance while the trainee shares the airway view with a remote expert is feasible and may have a positive impact on training residents on difficult airway management.
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