Table 1 Classification of videolaryngoscopes available in ICU and respective advantages and inconveniences
Videolaryngoscopes (VLs) | Advantages | Inconveniences |
|---|---|---|
VL without channel (example: Glidescope (Verathon), Mc Grath serie 5 (Medtronic/Covidien), C-mac D-blade (Karl Storz), Kingvision non channelled (Ambu) etc.) | - Angulated blade (improve glottis view of + 2 Cormack) | - Use of stylet mandatory to pre-shape the endotracheal tube - Difficulty to enter the tube into the trachea through the glottis (importance of training) |
VL with channel (example: Airtraq (Vygon), Airway scope (Pentax), Kingvision channelled (Ambu) etc.) | - Angulated blade with channel (improve glottis view of + 2 Cormack) - No need of stylet (the tracheal tube is introduced in the channel) | - Size of the device in case of limited opening mouth - Difficulty to enter the tube into the trachea through the glottis (importance of training) |
Combo (or "Macintosh") VL (example: Mc Grath Mac (Medtronic/Covidien), APA (Care fusion), C-mac (Karl Storz) etc.) | - Direct and indirect laryngoscopy using the same standard Macintosh shaped-blade - Possibility to insert an angulated blade on the same device - With or without channel - With deported or included screen | - Indirect laryngoscopy with a standard Macintosh blade: improve glottis of + 1 Cormack (instead of + 2 Cormack with an angulated blade) |
VL with deported screen (example: Glidescope (Verathon), C-mac (Karl Storz), APA (Care fusion) etc.) | - Large screen - Educational | - Cumbersome |
VL with screen included on the device (example: C-mac pocket (Karl Storz), Mc Grath Mac (Medtronic/Covidien), APA (Care fusion), Airtraq (Vygon), Kingvision (Ambu) etc.) | - Portable | - Smaller screen - Less educational than a deported screen |