Point | Counterpoint – DL Is Not the Building Block for Learning VL

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Yesterday we looked at an argument for learning DL prior to VL. Today, we are covering the counterpoint, where this group argues that DL is not the building block for learning VL.

I can see clearly now, the view is here…

These authors wrote a counterpoint to yesterday’s article, which argued that teaching DL is the building block for VL.

Here are the key points:

• Novice intubators (or those with infrequent intubation experience) perform much better with VL than DL; therefore, the focus should be on VL implementation and teaching.

  • It’s estimated that even those with 100+ intubation attempts still had better success with VL.

• VL is better for difficult airways.

• The cost of VL is justified and is becoming more economical.

  • Even if the initial price of the VL devices seems high, it is reusable, and over time, the per-use cost is low.

• VL devices allow teaching of DL technique.

Source

COUNTERPOINT: Direct Laryngoscopy: The Building Block to Airway Expertise? No. Chest. 2024 Jun;165(6):1297-1299. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2024.01.027. PMID: 38852967