Performance of the Airtraq, Airway Scope, and Macintosh Laryngoscope in Different Lighting Conditions

Lighting conditions during prehospital intubation can range from darkness to bright sunlight. Researchers in Japan compared the performance of the Airway Scope (a video laryngoscope), the Airtraq laryngoscope (an optical device that incorporates lenses and a light-emitting diode light source), and the Macintosh laryngoscope in the operating room in darkness and with standard ceiling lighting and outdoors on a sunny day (daylight). Fifteen anesthetists used the three devices in random order in each of the lighting conditions to intubate the trachea of a simulator manikin placed on the floor.

In ceiling-light and dark conditions in the operating room, operators achieved intubation in <30 seconds in all cases, and time to intubation and ventila…