VieScope in Patients With an Expected Difficult Airway

Overview

Patients requiring endotracheal intubation for elective surgery with an expected difficult airway are randomized to be intubated either by a) VieScope or b) videolaryngoscopy.

Tracheal intubation is required for different surgical procedures for mechanical ventilation and to prevent aspiration of secretions. In patients with an expected difficult airway, tracheal intubation is often performed by videolaryngoscopy (VL). However, this technique has limitations and may fail due to insufficient visualization of the larynx. A new device has been introduced that consists of an illuminated straight plastic tube for laryngoscopy (VSC, Vie Scope, Adroit Surgical, Oklahoma City, OK, USA) that enables for indirect intubation over a stylet. So far, the VSC has shown promising results in manikin studies for intubation in normal and difficult airways. We aim to test the VSC in patients compared to videolaryngoscopy in a prospective randomized non-inferiority trial. Patients will be assessed for eligibility in the Anesthesiology Pre-assessment Clinic of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf prior to elective surgery. All patients receive a structured preoperative airway assessment. Patients are randomized 1:1 to either intervention or control group. Patients randomized to the intervention group will be intubated with the VSC. Patients randomized to the control group are intubated with a MacIntosh type videolaryngoscope (CMAC, Storz, Germany).

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes