C-MAC Outperforms McGrath for Anticipated Difficult Intubation

Few studies have directly compared video laryngoscopes, particularly in patients with difficult airways. Researchers in Australia randomized 130 adult elective surgery patients with modified Mallampati scores of 3 or 4 to intubation with either the C-MAC or McGrath video laryngoscope. Operators had 10 or more years of anesthesia experience and had performed 10 or more intubations with each device.

Baseline characteristics and vital signs before and after intubation were similar between groups. The C-MAC laryngoscope had a shorter median intubation time than the McGrath laryngoscope (50 seconds vs. 67 seconds) and a higher first-attempt intubation success rate (89% vs. 69%), despite fewer Cormack-Lehane grade 1 laryngoscopic views (77% vs. 92…