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V I D E O
L A R Y N G O S C O P Y
N
o one can argue that video laryngoscopes are user-friendly
devices that provide direct views of the glottis for easier
endotracheal tube placement. But will they become the standard of care in airway management? Our online poll below revealed
many of you think they will — at least during challenging intubations.
Difficult becomes routine
Patients with anterior larynxes are challenging to intubate with direct
laryngoscopy and are ideally suited for video laryngoscopes, says D.
John Doyle, MD, PhD, professor of anesthesiology at the Cleveland
Clinic in Ohio. In marginal cases — patients with airways that are
slightly problematic, but not obviously so — video laryngoscopy, or
direct laryngoscopy with a video scope on standby, are effective alternatives to awake fiber-optic intubation.
"If the patient has a thick or short neck, video laryngoscopy helps
INTUBATION INQUIRY
Reader Survey on Video Laryngoscopes
1. Do you currently use a video laryngoscope?
85.9%
14.1%
Yes
No
2. Would you be willing to work or host more challenging
airway cases if you had access to a video laryngoscope?
59.7%
40.3%
Yes
No
3. Do you think video laryngoscopes will become the standard of care?
67.8%
32.2%
Yes
No
SOURCE: Outpatient Surgery Magazine Reader Survey, September 2013, n=94
O C T O B E R 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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