GlideScope Intubation Is More Successful with the GlideRite Rigid Stylet Than a Malleable Stylet

In a retrospective analysis, these authors compared success rates and complications between 322 GlideScope-assisted emergency intubations performed with a GlideRite rigid stylet and 151 performed with a standard malleable stylet at a single academic emergency department from 2007 to 2011.

First-attempt and overall success rates were significantly higher with the rigid stylet than the malleable stylet (83% vs. 68% and 94% vs. 78%). The incidence of oxygen desaturation (any drop in oxygen saturation below 90% or a drop of more than 10% if the initial saturation was <90%) was significantly lower with the rigid stylet (18% vs. 31%). Mean postgraduate year of the intubating physicians did not differ between groups.