Clin Exp Emerg Med.  2019 Dec;6(4):351-355. 10.15441/ceem.18.063.

Study on the effect of a cold environment on the quality of three video laryngoscopes: McGrath MAC, GlideScope Ranger, and Pentax Airway Scope

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ardoc@hanyang.ac.kr

Abstract


OBJECTIVE
Several environmental factors influence the prehospital use of video laryngoscopes (VLs). For example, fogging of the VL lens can occur in cold environments, and the low temperature can cause the VLs to malfunction. As relevant research on the effect of environment on VLs is lacking, we aimed to study the effect of a cold environment on three commonly used VLs.
METHODS
McGrath MAC, Pentax Airway Scope (AWS), and GlideScope Ranger were exposed to temperatures of -5°C, -10°C, -20°C, and -25°C for 1 hour each and then applied to a manikin in a thermohydrostat room 5 times. Immediately after turning on the power and inserting the blade, the time until an appropriate glottic image appeared on the screen was measured.
RESULTS
McGrath MAC was able to accomplish immediate intubation regardless of the temperature drop. However, GlideScope Ranger required an average of 4.9 seconds (-5°C to -20°C) and 10.1 seconds (-25°C) until appropriate images were obtained for intubation. AWS showed adequate image acquisition immediately after blade insertion despite slight fogging at -20°C, but at -25°C, images suitable for intubation did not appear on the screen for an average of 4.7 minutes.
CONCLUSION
All three devices appear to be usable without any limitations up to -20°C. However, GlideScope Ranger and AWS may not produce images immediately at temperatures below -25°C. Thus, medical practitioners performing VL in a cold environment should be aware of the characteristics of the VL devices in advance.

Keyword

Intubation, intratracheal; Cold temperature; Laryngoscopes

MeSH Terms

Cold Temperature
Intubation
Intubation, Intratracheal
Laryngoscopes*
Manikins
Weather
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