The Levitan FPS Scope vs. the Bougie in a Simulated Difficult Airway

The Levitan First Pass Success (LFPS) scope is a compact, semi-malleable fiber-optic intubating stylet with a built-in LED light source. It has been promoted for use during direct laryngoscopy, where fiber-optic visualization “through the tube” is claimed to improve the likelihood of successful intubation. However, few comparative studies have involved the use of such malleable scopes. These authors compared success rates and times to intubation with the LFPS scope and single-use bougie in 34 anesthetized adult patients.

A difficult airway was simulated in each patient by limiting the view obtained by laryngoscopy to the epiglottis only. A single experienced investigator attempted intubation in all patients using both the LFPS scope and the …