r/emergencymedicine • u/Radiant_Alchemist • 22d ago

Advice Will Video Laryngoscopy become the norm?

I love VL. They make standard laryngoscopes look brutal. They're less traumatizing, they give a better view, they have a better first-pass success. Sure you need to learn direct laryngoscopy but let's say in 5 years from now will they be used as routine in OR and ER intubations? Or will they be saved for hard cases?

I've been told that the equipment tends to suck and that we won't have VL as available as in the current department that I'm working so I should stick to Macintosh and McCoy.

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u/sum_dude44 22d ago

was this written in 2012?

2

u/doopdeepdoopdoopdeep 22d ago

I was gonna to say, I became an ED RN in 2016, later transferred to ICU and I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ED or ICU doctor do intubate with anything but VL.

I didn’t know until I started working with anesthesia in IR that anyone used DL anymore. 😂

3

u/turn-to-ashes RN - CVT ICU 22d ago

meanwhile we're bagging a pt in PEA in ICU and need an airway, anesthesia gets there and starts farting around looking for a VL because we only have DL in our airway box. the PA goes "do you really think now is the best time to be looking for a glidescope?" and one-shots it.

6

u/ProtectionPolitics4 22d ago

Maybe stock the area better? Sounds like a patient safety issue.

0

u/turn-to-ashes RN - CVT ICU 21d ago

we don't stock them. the OR next door does. he was getting in a bunny suit to go look in there. the PA got the airway just fine with a DL that was already available.