First-Pass Intubation Success Associated with Video Laryngoscopy and RSI

Emergency endotracheal intubation is considered by many the cornerstone of emergency medicine procedural knowledge. Increased first-pass intubation success is associated with decreased rates of uncommon serious complications.

To examine changes in intubation practice and outcomes, researchers analyzed prospectively collected data for nearly 11,000 emergency intubations (96% capture rate) in the Japanese Emergency Airway Network (a consortium of academic and community emergency departments across Japan) from 2010 to 2016.

Over the 6-year study period, use of rapid sequence intubation (RSI; defined as nearly simultaneous administration of a paralytic and a sedative agent) as the initial intubation method increased from 28% to 53%, and use of vi…