A randomised crossover comparison of two endotracheal tube introducers: The FROVA and the Flexible Tip Bougie for GlideScope intubation of a difficult airway manikin by infrequent intubators

Abstract

Background: This unblinded randomised crossover study compares two endotracheal tube introducers (ETIs): the FROVA and the "Flexible Tip Bougie"(FTB), in an airway manikin mimicking difficult intubation with a percentage of glottic opening view of 30%. Participants were Emergency Medicine and Anaesthesia trainees with recent experience of less than twenty patient intubations. The primary outcome was time to intubation, further divided into time taken to pass the ETI and time to railroad the endotracheal tube (ETT) over the ETI. The secondary outcome was the difficulty of intubation. Results: The median total time to ETT placement was significantly shorter with the FTB (37.5 s) compared with ..