1. A suction laryngoscope facilitates intubation for physicians with occasional emergency medical service experience—A manikin study with severe simulated airway haemorrhage
- Author
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Mitterlechner, Thomas, Maisch, Sonja, Wetsch, Wolfgang A., Herff, Holger, Paal, Peter, Stadlbauer, Karl H., Strasak, Alexander M., Lindner, Karl H., and Wenzel, Volker
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LARYNGOSCOPY , *INTUBATION , *PHYSICIANS , *EMERGENCY medical services , *MANNEQUINS (Figures) , *SIMULATION methods & models , *AIRWAY (Anatomy) , *HEMORRHAGE - Abstract
Abstract: Introduction: We developed a suction laryngoscope, which enables simultaneous suction and laryngoscopy in cases of airway haemorrhage and evaluated its potential benefits in physicians with varying emergency medical service experience. Methods: Eighteen physicians with regular and 24 physicians with occasional emergency medical service experience intubated the trachea of a manikin with severe simulated airway haemorrhage using the suction laryngoscope and the Macintosh laryngoscope in random order. Results: In physicians with regular emergency medical service experience, there was neither a difference in time needed for intubation [median (IQR, CI 95%)]: 34 (18, 30–46) vs. 34 (22, 30–52) s; P =0.52, nor in the number of oesophageal intubations [0/18 (0%) vs. 3/18 (16.7%); P =NS] when using the suction vs. the Macintosh laryngoscope. In physicians with occasional emergency medical service experience, there was no difference in time needed for intubation [median (IQR, CI 95%)]: 42 (25, 41–57) vs. 45 (33, 41–65) s; P =0.56, but the number of oesophageal intubations was significantly lower when using the suction laryngoscope [4/24 (16.7%) vs. 12/24 (50.0%); P =0.04]. Conclusions: In a model of severe simulated airway haemorrhage, employing a suction laryngoscope significantly decreased the likelihood of oesophageal intubations in physicians with occasional emergency medical service experience. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2009
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