Videolaryngoscopy use before and after the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic: The report of the VL-iCUE survey with responses from 96 countries.

Background: The potential benefit of videolaryngoscopy use in facilitating tracheal intubation has already been established, however its use was actively encouraged during the COVID-19 pandemic as it was likely to improve intubation success and increase the patient-operator distance.

Objectives: We sought to establish videolaryngoscopy use before and after the early phases of the pandemic, whether institutions had acquired new devices during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether there had been teaching on the devices acquired.

Design: We designed a survey with 27 questions made available via the Joint Information Scientific Committee JISC online survey platform in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese. This was distributed through 18 anaesthetic and airway management societies.

Setting: The survey was open for 54 to 90 days in various countries. The first responses were logged on the databases on 28 October 2021, with all databases closed on 26 January 2022. Reminders to participate were sent at the discretion of the administering organisations.

Participants: All anaesthetists and airway managers who received the study were eligible to participate.

Main Outcome Measures: Videolaryngoscopy use before the COVID-19 pandemic and at the time of the survey.

Results: We received 4392 responses from 96 countries: 944/4336 (21.7%) were from trainees. Of the 3394 consultants, 70.8% (2402/3394) indicated no change in videolaryngoscopy use, 19.9% (675/3394) increased use and 9.3% (315/3393) reduced use. Among trainees 65.5% (618/943) reported no change in videolaryngoscopy use, 27.7% (261/943) increased use and 6.8% (64/943) reduced use. Overall, videolaryngoscope use increased by 10 absolute percentage points following the pandemic.

Conclusions: Videolaryngoscopy use increased following the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic but this was less than might have been expected.