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airway's angle and sliding them down the trachea. Light wands and fiber-optic
bronchoscopes offer visualization to facilitate the tube's insertion. But video
laryngoscope technology has quickly become the go-to device for any difficult
or assumed-to-be difficult airway.
There are a number of reasons why. Video laryngoscopes have narrowed the
gap in airway management proficiency. The learning curve for the devices isn't
particularly steep. With a little bit of experience, and depending on the model,
they can be easier to use than a fiber-optic scope. As a result, even providers
with mediocre skills can generally obtain an airway with ease.
Users with more substantial experience often find that video laryngoscopes
can be more reliable in comparison to other options, especially if they're
designed to accommodate different sizes and styles of laryngoscope blades.
Even the American Society of Anesthesiologists' difficult airway algorithm
agrees: Its recent revision allows providers to go straight to video laryngoscopy
for placing the tube.
In outpatient surgery, speed and efficiency are important, but so is economy.
Video laryngoscopes can be pricey, especially the most advanced and reliable
technologies, but the ability to safely and effectively intubate a patient or rescue
a lost airway in fewer attempts and with little trauma to the airway makes them
invaluable. OSM
Mr. Cryder (
jeffcryder@hotma il.com
) is a CRNA at Scott & White Hospital in Temple,
Texas.
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