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Endotracheal intubation using direct laryngoscopy requires visualization and illumination of the laryngeal structures. The degree of illumination differs from one brand of laryngoscope blade to another and depends on factors such as the type of light source (bulb vs. fiber-optic) and the distance from the light source to the tip of the blade.
Researchers assessed variations in light intensity in a study of a convenience sample of 50 Macintosh laryngoscope blade-and-handle pairs from 17 emergency departments in Philadelphia. Light intensity varied considerably, with a range in median luminescence from 11 lux to 5627 lux. Luminescence was higher with fiber-optic blades (median, 1205 lux) than with bulb blades (median 689 lux). German-designed …