Impact of universal use of a hyperangulated videolaryngoscope as the first option for all intubations in the ICU: A prospective before-after study.

BACKGROUND: Tracheal intubation in ICU is associated with high incidence of difficult intubations. The study aimed to investigate whether the "universal" use of a hyperangulated videolaryngoscope would increase the frequency of "easy intubation" in ICU patients compared to direct laryngoscopy. METHODS: A prospective before-after study was conducted. The pre-interventional period (36 months) involved tracheal intubations using direct laryngoscopy as the first intubation option. In the interventional period (18 months) a hyperangulated videolaryngoscope was the first intubation option. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients with "easy intubation" defined as intubation on the first attempt and easy laryngoscopy (modified Cormack-Lehane glottic view of I-IIa). Secondary outcomes included difficult laryngoscopy, operator technical difficulty, and complications. RESULTS: We enrolled 407 patients, 273 in non-interventional period, and 134 in interventional period. Tracheal intubation in the interventional period was associated with higher incidence of "easy intubation" (92.5%) compared with the non-interventional period (75.8%); P < 0.001)). Glottic visualization improved in the interventional period, with a reduced incidence of difficult laryngoscopy (1.5% vs. 22.5%; P < 0.001). The proportion of first-success rate intubation was 92.5% in the interventional period, and 87.8% in the non-interventional period (P = 0.147). Moderate and severe technical difficulty of intubation reported decreased in the interventional period (6% vs. 17.6%; P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between both periods in the incidence of complications. CONCLUSION: "Universal" use of hyperangulated videolaryngoscopy for tracheal intubation in patients admitted in ICU improves the percentage of easy intubation compared to direct laryngoscopy.

Efficacy of bougie first approach for endotracheal intubation with video laryngoscopy during continuous chest compression: a randomized crossover manikin trial.

BACKGROUND: Endotracheal intubation is challenging during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and video laryngoscopy has showed benefits for this procedure. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of various intubation approaches, including the bougie first, preloaded bougie, endotracheal tube (ETT) with stylet, and ETT without stylet, on first-attempt success using video laryngoscopy during chest compression. METHODS: This was a randomized crossover trial conducted in a general tertiary teaching hospital. We included anesthesia residents in postgraduate year one to three who passed the screening test. Each resident performed intubation with video laryngoscopy using the four approaches in a randomized sequence on an adult manikin during continuous chest compression. The primary outcome was the first-attempt success defined as starting ventilation within a one minute. RESULTS: A total of 260 endotracheal intubations conducted by 65 residents were randomized and analyzed with 65 procedures in each group. First-attempt success occurred in 64 (98.5%), 57 (87.7%), 56 (86.2%), and 46 (70.8%) intubations in the bougie-first, preloaded bougie, ETT with stylet, and ETT without stylet approaches, respectively. The bougie-first approach had a significantly higher possibility of first-attempt success than the preloaded bougie approach [risk ratio (RR) 8.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to 62.16, P = 0.047], the ETT with stylet approach (RR 9.00, 95% CI 1.17 to 69.02, P = 0.035), and the ETT without stylet approach (RR 19.00, 95% CI 2.62 to 137.79, P = 0.004) in the generalized estimating equation logistic model accounting for clustering of intubations operated by the same resident. In addition, the bougie first approach did not result in prolonged intubation or increased self-reported difficulty among the study participants. CONCLUSIONS: The bougie first approach with video laryngoscopy had the highest possibility of first-attempt success during chest compression. These results helped inform the intubation approach during CPR. However, further studies in an actual clinical environment are warranted to validate these findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov; identifier: NCT05689125; date: January 18, 2023.

Video laryngoscopy versus direct laryngoscopy in achieving successful emergency endotracheal intubations: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Intubating a patient in an emergent setting presents significant challenges compared to planned intubation in an operating room. This study aims to compare video laryngoscopy versus direct laryngoscopy in achieving successful endotracheal intubation on the first attempt in emergency intubations, irrespective of the clinical setting. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception until 27 February 2023. We included only randomized controlled trials that included patients who had undergone emergent endotracheal intubation for any indication, regardless of the clinical setting. We used the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool 2 (ROB2) to assess the included studies. We used the mean difference (MD) and risk ratio (RR), with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI), to pool the continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were included with a total of 2470 patients. The overall analysis favored video laryngoscopy over direct laryngoscopy in first-attempt success rate (RR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.02, 1.18], P = 0.02), first-attempt intubation time (MD = - 6.92, 95% CI [- 12.86, - 0.99], P = 0.02), intubation difficulty score (MD = - 0.62, 95% CI [- 0.86, - 0.37], P < 0.001), peri-intubation percentage of glottis opening (MD = 24.91, 95% CI [11.18, 38.64], P < 0.001), upper airway injuries (RR = 0.15, 95% CI [0.04, 0.56], P = 0.005), and esophageal intubation (RR = 0.37, 95% CI [0.15, 0.94], P = 0.04). However, no difference between the two groups was found regarding the overall intubation success rate (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In emergency intubations, video laryngoscopy is preferred to direct laryngoscopy in achieving successful intubation on the first attempt and was associated with a lower incidence of complications.

Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Versus Palpatory Method of Posterior Tibial Artery Cannulation: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

INTRODUCTION: Superficial arteries, such as radial and dorsalis pedis arteries, are commonly cannulated for invasive blood pressure monitoring. Failure to cannulate these arteries necessitates alternate arteries, such as the posterior tibial artery (PTA). The deep-seated anatomy of PTA makes arterial cannulation precarious by the palpatory technique. Ultrasound guidance during PTA cannulation may overcome this problem. With this background, we evaluated the ultrasound-guided (USG) versus palpatory method for PTA cannulation with respect to the first attempt's success and number of attempts. METHODS: A total of 240 American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status I-IV adult patients undergoing major surgeries requiring arterial cannulation were randomly allocated (1:1) to group A (USG-guided cannulation, n = 120) and Group B (cannulation by palpatory technique, n =120). PTA was cannulated by either of the techniques according to randomization. Data were analyzed and compared in both groups for first-attempt success, number of attempts, assessment time, cannulation time, and complications. RESULT: The successful cannulation in the first attempt in Group A was 25.8% (n = 31), and in Group B, it was 12.5% (n = 15) (p = 0.009). In Group A, 78.3% of patients (n = 94) had successful cannulation, and in group B, 65% of patients (n =78) had successful cannulation (p = 0.022). Both groups had similar assessment time (p = 0.348) and cannulation time (p = 0.864). CONCLUSION: USG-guided PTA cannulation offers a greater chance of success without any added increase in procedure time.

Airway management in the pediatric emergency department in Japan: A multicenter prospective observational study.

Aim: Tracheal intubation is a vital resuscitation procedure in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Despite its importance, little is known about the current status of emergency airway management in Japan. In this context, we aimed to investigate the airway management characteristics-particularly the location, patient, and provider factors-in the pediatric ED. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, prospective study of five pediatric EDs in Japan from October 2018 to June 2020. The study included all children (aged ≤18 years) who underwent intubation at the pre-ED or ED setting by physicians and those who were transferred from the ED to the operation room (OR) or pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for intubation. We described the airway management characteristics according to the location, patient, and provider factors. Results: Of 231 children, 9 (4%) were transferred to the OR or PICU for airway management. Among the remaining 222 children, 45 were intubated at the pre-ED setting and 177 were intubated in the ED. The overall first-attempt success rate was 72%, with the rate varying by location, patient, and provider factors-for example, 68% at the pre-ED setting, 67% for children <2 years, 56% for children with airway-related anatomical anomalies, and 61% with intubation by a resident physician. Intubation-related adverse events were observed in 17%, most of which were hypoxemia (14%). Conclusions: Based on data from a multicenter prospective study, the overall first-attempt intubation success rate in pediatric EDs in Japan was 72%, with large variations by location, patient, and provider factors.

Effect of a thin-tipped short bevel needle for peripheral intravenous access on the compressive deformation and displacement of the vein: A preclinical study.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) insertion often fails on the first attempt. Risk factors include small vein size and dehydration, causing vein deformation and displacement due to puncture resistance of the vessel. The authors developed a short, thin-tipped bevel needle and compared its puncture performance with needles of four available PIVCs using an ex vivo model. METHODS: The PIVC with the thin-tipped short bevel needle was compared to four available PIVCs using an ex vivo model which simulated the cephalic vein of the human forearm. The ex vivo model consisted of a porcine shoulder and porcine internal jugular vein, and was used for evaluation of the rate of vein deformation and vessel displacement during needle insertion. RESULTS: An ex vivo model was created with a vessel diameter of 2.7-3.7 mm and a depth of 2-5 mm. The thin-tipped short bevel PIVC needle was associated with a significantly lower compressive deformation rate and venous displacement compared to the needles of the other four PIVCs. CONCLUSION: The thin-tipped short bevel needle induced lower compressive deformation and displacement of the vein than the conventional needles. This needle has the potential to improve the first-attempt success rate of peripheral intravenous catheterization in patients with difficult venous access.

Retromolar intubation with video intubating stylet in difficult airway: A randomized crossover manikin study.

OBJECTIVE: Difficult airway situations, such as trismus and neck rigidity, may prohibit standard midline orotracheal intubation. An alternative route of intubation from the retromolar space using a fiberoptic scope or rigid intubation stylet has been reported. There is no study investigating the applicability of retromolar intubation using a video intubating stylet. This study comparatively analyzed difficult airway management using a video intubating stylet in the retromolar and standard midline approaches. METHODS: A randomized crossover manikin study was conducted between January 2021 and June 2021 at a tertiary teaching hospital. Thirty-six emergency medicine residents and attending physicians were enrolled, and all participated in an educational course regarding video intubating stylet in standard midline and retromolar approaches. Then, they performed both intubation approaches in a randomized order on a manikin seven times with different airway settings each time. The duration of successful intubation, first attempt success rate, overall success rate, number of attempts, and self-reported difficulty were recorded and compared. RESULTS: Thirty-six emergency physicians were included in the study. Compared with the standard midline approach, the use of the retromolar approach significantly reduced the duration of successful intubation in difficult airway scenarios such as limited mouth opening and neck rigidity with (44.77 [28.58-63.65] vs. 120 [93.86-120] s, p < 0.001) and without tongue edema (31.5 [22.57-57.74] vs. 44.72 [36.23-65.34] s, p = 0.012). Furthermore, the retromolar approach increased the first attempt success rate in scenarios of limited mouth opening and neck rigidity with (91.67% vs. 16.67%, p < 0.001) and without (97.22% vs. 72.22%, p = 0.012) tongue edema. The self-reported difficulty was also significantly lower with the retromolar approach than with the standard approach in the above two scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: The retromolar approach for intubation using a video intubating stylet may be a promising choice for selected patients with a combination of difficult airway features such as limited mouth opening, neck rigidity, and edematous tongue.

A short bevel needle with a very thin tip improves vein puncture performance of peripheral intravenous catheters: An experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral intravenous catheter placement is frequently unsuccessful at the first attempt. One suggested risk factor is a small vein size, because of the consequences of mechanical forces generated by the needle tip. We developed short bevel needles with a very thin tip and evaluated their puncture performance in two in vitro models. METHODS: Peripheral intravenous catheters with a new needle ground using the lancet method (experimental catheter (L)) or backcut method (experimental catheter (B)) were compared with a conventional peripheral intravenous catheter (Surshield Surflo®) in a penetration force test and a tube puncture test. Penetration forces were measured when peripheral intravenous catheters penetrated a polyethylene sheet. The tube puncture test was used to evaluate whether the peripheral intravenous catheters could puncture a polyvinyl chloride tube at two positions, at the center and at 0.5 mm from the center of the tube. RESULTS: Mean penetration forces at the needle tip produced by experimental catheters (L) (0.05 N) and (B) (0.04 N) were significantly lower than those produced by the conventional catheter (0.09 N) (p < 0.01). At the catheter tip, mean forces produced by experimental catheter (B) and the conventional catheter were 0.16 N and 0.26 N, respectively (p < 0.05). In the tube puncture test, the frequency at which the conventional catheter punctured the center-shifted site on the tube at an angle of 20° and speed of 50 mm/min was low (40%). In contrast, experimental catheters (L) and (B) were 100% successful at puncturing both the center and center-shifted sites at 20°. CONCLUSION: Puncture performance was comparable between the lancet-ground and backcut-ground needles except for penetration forces at the catheter tip. The experimental catheters produced lower penetration forces and induced puncture without target displacement at smaller angles compared with the conventional catheter. Therefore, optimization of the needle can prevent vein deformation and movement, which may increase the first-attempt success rate.

Techniques and outcomes of emergency airway management in Japan: An analysis of two multicentre prospective observational studies, 2010-2016.

OBJECTIVES: Continuous surveillance of emergency airway management practice is imperative in improving quality of care and patient safety. We aimed to investigate the changes in the practice of emergency airway management and the related outcomes in the emergency departments (EDs) in Japan. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of the data from two prospective, observational, multicentre registries of emergency airway management-the Japanese Emergency Airway Network (JEAN)-1 and -2 Registries from April 2010 through May 2016. RESULTS: We recorded 10,927 ED intubations (capture rate, 96%); 10,875 paediatric and adult patients were eligible for our analysis. The rate of rapid sequence intubation (RSI) use as the initial intubation method significantly increased from 28% in 2010 to 53% in 2016 (Ptrend=0.03). Likewise, the rate of video laryngoscope (VL) use as the first intubation device increased significantly from 2% in 2010 to 40% in 2016 (Ptrend<0.001), with a significant decrease in the rate of direct laryngoscope use from 97% in 2010 to 58% in 2016 (Ptrend<0.001). Concurrent with these changes, the overall first-attempt success rate also increased from 68% in 2010 to 74% in 2016 (Ptrend=0.02). By contrast, the rate of adverse events did not change significantly over time (Ptrend=0.06). CONCLUSION: By using data from two large, multicentre, prospective registries, we characterised the current emergency airway management practice, and identified their changes in Japan. The data demonstrated significant increases in the rate of RSI and VL use on the first attempt and the first-attempt success rate over the 6-year study period.