Videolaryngoscopy vs. Direct Laryngoscopy for Elective Airway Management in Paediatric Anaesthesia: A prospective randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND The indirect visualisation of the glottic area with a videolaryngoscope could improve intubation conditions which may possibly lead to a higher success rate of the first intubation attempt. OBJECTIVE Comparison of videolaryngoscopy and direct laryngoscopy for elective airway management in paediatric patients. DESIGN Prospective randomised controlled trial. SETTINGS Operating room. PARTICIPANTS 535 paediatric patients undergoing elective anaesthesia with tracheal intubation. 501 patients were included in the final analysis. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomly allocated to the videolaryngoscopy group (n  = 265) and to the direct laryngoscopy group (n  = 269) for the primary airway management. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The first attempt intubation success rate was assessed as the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes were defined as: the time to successful intubation (time to the first EtCO2 wave), the overall intubation success rate, the number of intubation attempts, the incidence of complications, and the impact of the length of the operator's clinical practice. RESULTS The study was terminated after the planned interim analysis for futility. There were no significant demographic differences between the two groups. The first attempt intubation success rate was lower in the videolaryngoscopy group; 86.8% (n  = 211) vs. 92.6% (n  =...
Source: European Journal of Anaesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Airway Source Type: research