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Previous studies of the effect of manual in-line stabilization of the cervical spine on direct laryngoscopy have relied on surrogate markers of intubation difficulty, such as laryngoscopic grade of view and requisite lifting force (JW Emerg Med Feb 13 2009 and JW Emerg Med Mar 14 2008). In the current study, investigators measured actual intubation success at a preset time (30 seconds) in addition to grade of view in a randomized controlled study of manual in-line stabilization in 200 adult patients who were undergoing intubation for general anesthesia at a single academic hospital in Quebec.
Patients with known risk factors for difficult airways were excluded. Each of seven experienced anesthesiologists used a Macintosh 3 laryngoscope blade…