Measuring the impact of introducing a new video laryngoscope on intubation success and safety among extremely low birthweight infants.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate intubation success and safety among extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants before, during, and after the introduction of a new video laryngoscope (VL) in a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit.

STUDY

DESIGN

Single-center retrospective cohort study. Three phases (pre-introduction, introduction, and post-introduction), each with 40 intubations, were analyzed. Primary success and safety outcomes included first-attempt success and any tracheal intubation-associated events (TIAEs), respectively. Univariable analyses were used to compare patient, provider, and practice characteristics and outcomes by phase.

RESULTS

No significant differences were observed between the pre-introduction and introduction phases. The post-introduction phase had significantly fewer TIAEs compared to both the pre-introduction (2 [5%] vs 8 [20%]; p = 0.04) and introduction phases (2 [5%] vs 8 [20%]; p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Safety outcomes improved with continued use of the new VL among ELBW intubations. Further research is needed to explore the role of training and experience with new airway technologies.