Airtraq(®) versus Macintosh laryngoscope: A comparative study in tracheal intubation.

Background: The curved laryngoscope blade described by Macintosh in 1943 remains the most widely used device to facilitate tracheal intubation. The Airtraq(®) (Prodol Meditec S.A, Vizcaya, Spain) is a new, single use, indirect laryngoscope introduced into clinical practice in 2005.