Three-day tracheal intubation manikin training for novice doctors using Macintosh laryngoscope, McGRATH MAC videolaryngoscope and Pentax AirwayScope.

Background: We compared the intubation skills obtained by novice doctors following training using 3 instruments, the conventional Macintosh laryngoscope (Mac) and 2 types of indirect video-laryngoscopes (McGrathTM-MAC: McGrath (McG) and AirwayScope (AWS)), to determine the most appropriate instrument for novice doctors to acquire intubation skills, especially focusing on visual confirmation of vocal cords, during a 3-day intensive manikin training program.

Methods: Fifteen novice doctors who did not have sufficient experience in endotracheal intubation (ETI) and consented to participate in this study were included. We used AirSim and AMT (Airway management Trainer) manikins. First, an experienced anesthesiologist instructed the trainees on using the 3 instruments for a few minutes. Then, after familiarizing themselves with each device for 10 minutes, the participants attempted ETI on the 2 manikins with the 3 devices used in random order. Intubations with each device were practiced and performed for 3 successive days. We assessed the percentage of glottic opening (POGO) score, successful intubation rate and tracheal intubation time for each participant, with each device, and on each day.

Results: In the first manikin, AirSim, POGO scores in the McG and AWS groups were significantly higher than those in the Mac group on all 3 days (P < .0001). The number of intubation failures in the Mac group decreased from 2 cases on day 1, to 1 case on day 2 and zero cases on day 3. There were no failures in the McG and AWS groups on any of the days. With the second manikin, AMT, POGO scores in the Mac group were significantly lower than those in the McG and AWS groups on all 3 days. There were no intubation failures in the AWS group on all 3 days. In the Mac group, the number of intubation failures decreased from 3 on day 1, to 2 on day 2 and zero failures on day 3. In the McG group, there were only 3 failures on day 1.

Conclusion: The 2 types of indirect video-laryngoscopes (McGRATH and AirwayScope) were demonstrated to be suitable instruments for novice doctors to achieve higher POGO scores in a 3-day intensive ETI training.