The GlideScope Performs Well in Clinical Practice

To characterize use and performance of the GlideScope video laryngoscope in routine clinical practice, researchers reviewed 71,570 operating room intubations in adults at two U.S. academic medical centers between 2007 and 2009.

Of 2004 patients (2.8%) who underwent GlideScope intubation, 81% had markers of difficult laryngoscopy (table) or were obese (body-mass index >30 kg/m²).

GlideScope intubations were performed or supervised by 142 attending anesthesiologists who did not receive formal training with the device. Success rates for GlideScope intubation were 97% overall, 96% in patients with markers of difficult laryngoscopy, 98% in patients without such markers, 98% when used first, and 94% (224 of 239 cases) when used after failed direct …