A comparison of the effectiveness of intubation using a McGrath Series 5 videolaryngoscope with either a Truflex articulating stylet or a standard intubation stylet in a group of medical students

Background. Intubation is the optimal method for opening the airway and effective ventilation of the patient. However, there are occasional problems with intubation, especially in patients with injuries under pre-hospital conditions. Therefore, it is important to identify devices, e.g., videolaryngoscopes or guides, which may facilitate and shorten the procedure. This study addresses the use of a Truflex articulated guide with a videolaryngoscope.Objectives. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of intubation using a Truflex articulating stylet with a McGrath videolaryngoscope, and to determine whether the average time of intubation using a Truflex articulating stylet is shorter than that using a standard intubation stylet.Materials and methods. The study involved 43 full-time 5th year medical students. All tests were performed on training manikins with a difficult airway in January 2013. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis with a significance level of p< 0.01. Calculations were performed using the Statistica package.Results. Intubation using a McGrath videolaryngoscope with a Truflex articulating stylet was more effective than that using a standard intubation stylet with the same laryngoscope: 71% as compared to 40%. The mean time of successful intubation using a Truflex articulating stylet was shorter than that using a standard intubation stylet guide (31.1 ± 12.8 s and 39.8 ± 12.4 s, respectively).Conclusions. The mean time of tracheal intubation using a Truflex articulating stylet is shorter than that using a standard intubation stylet. Intubation is also more effective when a Truflex articulating stylet is used together with a McGrath videolaryngoscope.