Trainees Using Video Laryngoscopy Are Less Likely to End Up in the Esophagus

While video laryngoscopy results in consistently improved glottic views compared with direct laryngoscopy, its benefits in terms of intubation success may be mitigated in experienced users (NEJM JW Emerg Med Dec 2011 and Anesth Analg 2011; 113:1082). However, inexperienced users who have not yet developed extensive skill with direct laryngoscopy are a different story. These authors reviewed six years of data from a single site with a 3-year emergency medicine residency program. They used propensity scoring to compare esophageal intubation rates between intubation attempts with video and direct laryngoscopy.

Emergency medicine residents performed a total of 3425 intubation attempts (on 2677 patients), of which 55% were with video laryngoscopy…