GlideScope Outperforms Direct Laryngoscopy for Urgent Intubations

To determine whether GlideScope laryngoscopy is superior to direct laryngoscopy for urgent intubation, researchers compared success and complication rates for 50 direct-laryngoscopy intubations performed in 2006 and 78 GlideScope intubations performed in 2010, all by pulmonary and critical-care medicine fellows at one academic center in New York. Most intubations were performed by first-year fellows. Neuromuscular blockade was not used routinely, per division policy. All fellows completed at least 20 hours of didactic and simulation-based training.

Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. The GlideScope cohort had a significantly higher first-attempt intubation success rate (91% vs. 68%), fewer intubation attempts (mean, 1.2 vs.…