Comparison of Video Laryngoscope and Direct Laryngoscope on Rapidity and Accuracy in Tracheal Intubation by Paramedic

1급 응급구조사의 비디오후두경 기관삽관과 직접후두경 기관삽관의 신속성 및 정확도 비교

Objective : This study compares Video laryngoscope and Direct laryngoscope in tracheal Intubation on rapidity and accuracy by paramedic and aims to improve efficiency of airway management and survival rate in pre-hospital treatment for the patients with severe trauma, cardiac arrest or dyspnea caused by acute diseases. Methods : 60 paramedics were recruited from 13 fire stations located in C province. With the consent of the paramedics, likelihood ratio test was carried out and they were divided into two different groups; DL group (30) and GVL group (30). Regarding intubation conditions, difficult airway grade I, grade II and grade III as well as sniffing position and neutral position were examined. This study also compared between ambulance in motion and in stand still. Frequency, average and standard deviation were analyzed with statistics program, SPSS WIN 17.0 and repeated measure design was introduced to examine inter-relations between position, grade and groups. Results : Intubation was performed more rapidly in neutral position and GVL than in sniffing position and DL(F = 15.260, p = .000). Rapidity value was better with grade I and grade II than grade III and better with GVL than DL(F = 32.629, p = .000). Accuracy value was higher with neutral position and GVL than sniffing position and DL(F = 5.008, p = .011). grade III was less accurate than grade I, grade II and GVL was more accurate than DL(F = 10.966, p = .000). Ambulance motion status did not show any statistically significant differences in accuracy and rapidity. Conclusion : Given this study results, neutral position is better for the patient with severe trauma. For a better survival, GVL intubation can be considered since GVL can enhance accuracy as well as rapidity regarding difficult airway. Since there is no significant differences in ambulance motion factors, intubation can be recommended even in moving ambulance for shortening traveling time to a hospital.