Prevailing practices in airway management: a prospective single-centre observational study of endotracheal intubation.

Introduction: Airway management during anaesthesia has potential difficulties and risks. We aimed to investigate the utility of routine airway assessment for predicting difficult tracheal intubation, review the prevailing practice of videolaryngoscope use amongst anaesthetists in a teaching hospital and determine the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative airway-related complications.

Methods: A prospective observational study of 1,654 patients undergoing general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation over a seven-month period was performed.

Comparison of results from novice and trained personnel using the Macintosh laryngoscope, Pentax AWS®, C-MAC™ and Bonfils intubation fibrescope: a manikin study.

Introduction: Indirect laryngoscopes offer improved laryngeal view and higher success rates of intubation, particularly for difficult airways. We hypothesised that: (a) the time required for intubation, overall success rates and ease of intubation with indirect laryngoscopes would be better than with the Macintosh laryngoscope; and (b) novices may achieve higher success rates and intubate faster using indirect laryngoscopes.

Methods: In a cross-sectional observational study, 13 novices and 13 skilled anaesthetists were recruited.