Intubation Success after Introduction of a Quality Assurance Program Using Video Laryngoscopy

Video Laryngoscopy versus Direct Laryngoscopy for Orotracheal Intubation in the Out-of-Hospital Environment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of video and direct laryngoscopy on first-pass success rates for out-of-hospital orotracheal intubation.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to January 2023. Out-of-hospital studies comparing video and direct laryngoscopy on either first-pass or overall intubation success were included. A random effects meta-analysis was performed with a primary outcome of first-pass success stratified by clinician type and laryngoscope blade geometry. The secondary outcomes were overall intubation success stratified by clinician type, and intubation time. All hypotheses and subgroup analyses were determined a priori.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies involving 35,489 intubations met inclusion criteria. Substantial heterogeneity (>75%) precluded reporting point estimates for nearly all analyses. For our primary outcome, video laryngoscopy was associated with improved first-pass success in 3/5 physician studies, 4/6 critical care paramedic/registered nurse studies, and 7/10 paramedic studies. Video laryngoscope devices with Macintosh blade geometry were associated with improved first-pass success in 7/10 studies, while devices with hyperangulated geometry were associated with improved first-pass success in 3/7 studies. Overall intubation success was greater with video laryngoscopy in 2/6 studies in the physician subgroup and 9/10 studies in the paramedic subgroup. Video laryngoscopy was not associated with overall intubation success among critical care paramedics/nurses (OR = 1.89, 0.96 to 3.72, I2 = 34%). Lastly, 4/5 studies found video laryngoscopy to be associated with longer intubation times.

CONCLUSIONS

We found substantial heterogeneity among out-of-hospital studies comparing video laryngoscopy to direct laryngoscopy on first-pass success, overall success, or intubation time. This heterogeneity was not explained with stratification by study design, clinician type, video laryngoscope blade geometry, or leave-one-out meta-analysis. A majority of studies showed that video laryngoscopy was associated with improved first pass success in all subgroups, but only for paramedics and not physicians when looking at overall success. This improvement was more common in studies that used Macintosh blades than those that used hyperangulated blades. Future research should explore the heterogeneity identified in our analysis with an emphasis on differences in training, clinical milieu, and specific video laryngoscope devices.

The effect of a multi-faceted quality improvement program on paramedic intubation success in the critical care transport environment: a before-and-after study

INTRODUCTION

Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is an infrequent but key component of prehospital and retrieval medicine. Common measures of quality of ETI are the first pass success rates (FPS) and ETI on the first attempt without occurrence of hypoxia or hypotension (DASH-1A). We present the results of a multi-faceted quality improvement program (QIP) on paramedic FPS and DASH-1A rates in a large regional critical care transport organization.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective database analysis, comparing FPS and DASH-1A rates before and after implementation of the QIP. We included all patients undergoing advanced airway management with a first strategy of ETI during the time period from January 2016 to December 2021.

RESULTS

484 patients met the inclusion criteria during the study period. Overall, the first pass intubation success (FPS) rate was 72% (350/484). There was an increase in FPS from the pre-intervention period (60%, 86/144) to the post-intervention period (86%, 148/173), p < 0.001. DASH-1A success rates improved from 45% (55/122) during the pre-intervention period to 55% (84/153) but this difference did not meet pre-defined statistical significance (p = 0.1). On univariate analysis, factors associated with improved FPS rates were the use of video-laryngoscope (VL), neuromuscular blockage, and intubation inside a healthcare facility.

CONCLUSIONS

A multi-faceted advanced airway management QIP resulted in increased FPS intubation rates and a non-significant improvement in DASH-1A rates. A combination of modern equipment, targeted training, standardization and ongoing clinical governance is required to achieve and maintain safe intubation by paramedics in the prehospital and retrieval environment.

Efficacy of Video Laryngoscopy versus Direct Laryngoscopy in the Prehospital Setting: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Placing an endotracheal tube is a life-saving measure. Direct laryngoscopy (DL) is traditionally the default method. Video laryngoscopy (VL) has been shown to improve efficiency, but there is insufficient evidence comparing VL versus DL in the prehospital settings. This study, comprising a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis, assesses current literature for the efficacy of VL in prehospital settings.

METHODS

PubMed and Scopus databases were searched from their beginnings through March 1, 2022 for eligible studies. Outcomes were the first successful intubation, overall success rate, and number of total DL versus VL attempts in real-life clinical situations. Cochrane's Risk of Bias (RoB) tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were applied to assess risk of bias and study quality; Q-statistics and I2 values were used to assess heterogeneity.

RESULTS

The search yielded seven studies involving 23,953 patients, 6,674 (28%) of whom underwent intubation via VL. Compared to DL, VL was associated with a statistically higher risk ratio for first-pass success (Risk Ratio [RR] = 1.116; 95% CI, 1.005-1.239; P = .041; I2 = 87%). The I2 value for the subgroup of prospective studies was 0% compared to 89% for retrospective studies. In addition, VL was associated with higher likelihood of overall success rate (RR = 1.097; 95% CI, 1.01-1.18; P = .021; I2 = 85%) and lower mean number of attempts (Mean Difference = -0.529; 95% CI, -0.922 to -0.137; P = .008).

CONCLUSION

The meta-analysis suggested that VL was associated with higher likelihood of achieving first-pass success, greater overall success rate, and lower number of intubation attempts for adults in the prehospital settings. This study had high heterogeneity, likely presenced by the inclusion of retrospective observational studies. Further studies with more rigorous methodology are needed to confirm these results.

Video screen visualization patterns when using a video laryngoscope for tracheal intubation: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Published studies of video laryngoscopes are often limited by the lack of a clear definition of video laryngoscopy (VL). We performed a systematic review to determine how often published studies of VL report on video screen visualization.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus for interventional and observational studies in which a video laryngoscope equipped with a standard geometry blade was used for tracheal intubation. We excluded simulation based studies. Our primary outcome was data on video laryngoscope screen visualization. Secondary outcomes were explicit methodology for screen visualization.

RESULTS

We screened 4838 unique studies and included 207 (120 interventional and 87 observational). Only 21 studies (10% of 207) included any data on video screen visualization by the proceduralist, 19 in a yes/no fashion only (ie, screened viewed or not) and 2 with detail beyond whether the screen was viewed or not. In 11 more studies, visualization patterns could be inferred based on screen availability and in 16 more studies, the methods section stated how screen visualization was expected to be performed without reporting data collection on how the proceduralist interacted with the video screen. Risk of bias was high in the majority of included studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Published studies of VL, including many clinical trials, rarely include data on video screen visualization. Given the nuances of using a video laryngoscope, this is a critical deficiency, which largely prevents us from knowing the treatment effect of using a video laryngoscope in clinical practice. Future studies of VL must address this deficiency.

Prehospital Surgical Airway Management: An NAEMSP Position Statement and Resource Document

Bag-valve-mask ventilation and endotracheal intubation have been the mainstay of prehospital airway management for over four decades. Recently, supraglottic device use has risen due to various factors. The combination of bag-valve-mask ventilation, endotracheal intubation, and supraglottic devices allows for successful airway management in a majority of patients. However, there exists a small portion of patients who are unable to be intubated and cannot be adequately ventilated with either a facemask or a supraglottic airway. These patients require an emergent surgical airway. A surgical airway is an important component of all airway algorithms, and in some cases may be the only viable approach; therefore, it is imperative that EMS agencies that are credentialed to manage airways have the capability to perform surgical airways when appropriate. The National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians (NAEMSP) recommends the following for emergency medical services (EMS) agencies that provide advanced airway management.A surgical airway is reasonable in the prehospital setting when the airway cannot be secured by less invasive means.When indicated, a surgical airway should be performed without delay.A surgical airway is not a substitute for other airway management tools and techniques. It should not be the only rescue option available.Success of an open surgical approach using a scalpel is higher than that of percutaneous Seldinger techniques or needle-jet ventilation in the emergency setting.

Direct Versus Video Laryngoscopy in a Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Setting: A Retrospective Comparison

OBJECTIVE

Since the introduction of video laryngoscopy (VL) as a technique for orotracheal intubation, its use has become widespread among prehospital providers. However, little information is available about the efficacy and success of VL compared with direct laryngoscopy (DL) in the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) setting. The objective of this study was to investigate whether VL or DL increased successful first-pass orotracheal intubations and overall intubation success by HEMS providers.

DESIGN

A retrospective chart review was performed on adults intubated by a HEMS program from January 2015 to July 2017. All orotracheal intubations with at least 1 attempt were included. Excluded were emergent cricothyrotomies, nonintubated patients, and those intubated before HEMS care.

RESULTS

DL accounted for 21 intubations, whereas VL was used for 150 intubations. Nineteen of 21 (90.5%) DL intubations were successful on first pass, whereas 127 of 150 (84.7%) VL intubations were successful on first pass. The overall success rate was 90.5% for DL and 92.7% for VL. For both first-pass and overall success rates, the differences between modalities were not statistically significant. DL and VL had nearly identical complication rates, with hypoxia being the primary complication in both groups.

CONCLUSION

No statistically significant difference was found in the first-pass rate, the overall success rate, or complications between DL and VL.

Video laryngoscopy for out of hospital cardiac arrest

INTRODUCTION

Endotracheal intubation is an import component of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) resuscitation. In this analysis, we evaluate the association of video laryngoscopy (VL) with first pass success and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) using a national OHCA cohort.

METHODS

We analyzed 2018 data from ESO Inc. (Austin, TX), a national prehospital electronic health record. We included all adult, non-traumatic cardiac arrests undergoing endotracheal intubation. We defined VL and direct laryngoscopy (DL) based on paramedic recorded intubation device. The primary outcomes were first pass success, ROSC, and sustained ROSC. Using multivariable, mixed models, we determined the association between VL and first pass success rate, ROSC, and sustained ROSC (survival to ED or ROSC in the field for greater than 20 min), fitting agency as a random intercept and adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS

We included 22,132 patients cared for by 914 EMS agencies, including 5702 (25.7%) VL and 16,430 (74.2%) DL. Compared to DL, VL had a lower rate of bystander CPR, but other characteristics were similar between the groups. VL exhibited higher first pass success than DL (75.1% v 69.5%, p < .001). On mixed model analysis, VL was associated with a higher first pass success (OR 1.5, CI 1.3-1.6) but not ROSC (OR 1.1, CI 0.97-1.2) or sustained ROSC (OR 1.1, CI 0.9-1.2).

CONCLUSION

While associated with higher FPS, VL was not associated with increased rate of ROSC. The role of VL in OHCA remains unclear.

Impact of Suction-Assisted Laryngoscopy and Airway Decontamination Technique on Intubation Quality Metrics in a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service: An Educational Intervention

OBJECTIVE

Suction-assisted laryngoscopy and airway decontamination (SALAD) was created to assist with the decontamination of a massively soiled airway. This study aims to investigate the usefulness of SALAD training to prehospital emergency providers to improve their ability to intubate a massively contaminated airway.

METHODS

This was a prospective study conducted as a before and after teaching intervention. Participants were made up of prehospital providers who were present at regularly scheduled training sessions and were asked to intubate a high-fidelity mannequin simulating large-volume emesis before and after SALAD instruction. They were subsequently tested on 3-month skill retention. Twenty subjects participated in all stages of the study and were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

The median time to successful intubation for all study participants before instruction was 60.5 seconds (interquartile range [IQR] = 44.0-84.0); post-training was 43.0 seconds (IQR = 38.0-57.5); and at the 3-month follow-up, it was 29.5 seconds (IQR = 24.5-39.0). The greatest improvement was seen on subgroup analysis of the slowest 50th percentile where the median time before instruction was 84.0 seconds (IQR = 68.0-96.0); post-instruction was 41.5 seconds (IQR = 36.0-65.0); and at the 3-month follow-up, it was 29.5 seconds (IQR = 25.0-39.0).

CONCLUSION

The implementation of the SALAD technique through a structured educational intervention improved time to intubation and the total number of attempts.