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The likelihood of upper airway injury increases with increasing force applied during laryngoscopy. Researchers compared blade forces exerted during intubation with the Macintosh and GlideScope laryngoscopes in simulated normal and difficult airways (cervical spine immobilization and tongue edema) by 20 anesthesiologists (at least 3 years of experience) and by 20 anesthesia trainees (at least 1 year of experience).
In all three airway scenarios, lower mean force was exerted during intubation with the GlideScope than with the Macintosh laryngoscope (see the table) for anesthesiologists (about 30% less) and trainees (>50% less). All differences in force between the GlideScope and Macintosh were statistically significant, except in the normal ai…
