Retrospective Data Analysis With the Aim to Determine the Success Rate of Endotracheal Intubation in the First Attempt in the Zug Rescue Service With Various Airway Devices Already in Everyday Use

Securing the airway is a critical aspect of pre-hospital emergency medicine and a complex, often life-saving measure. Endotracheal intubation in particular is a key intervention to ensure adequate oxygenation and ventilation in critically ill or injured patients and to secure the airway. Despite the development of alternative airway devices, the endotracheal tube remains the gold standard in prehospital emergency care due to its reliability and ability to safely protect the airway from aspiration. The ability to perform rapid and successful endotracheal intubation is critical for healthcare professionals, as failure to secure the airway significantly increases mortality and morbidity. Failure to intubate the trachea on the first attempt (lack of first-pass success) occurs in up to 20% of tracheal intubations in the emergency department or intensive care unit and up to 40% of prehospital intubations and is associated with an increased risk of severe hypoxemia, aspiration, cardiac arrest and death. Given the often challenging conditions in the prehospital environment - such as limited space, suboptimal lighting and time pressure - mastering this technique becomes even more important. The airway should therefore be secured under the best possible conditions and with the aid of appropriate airway adjuncts. Despite advances, the optimal choice of laryngoscope and supportive devices remains a controversial topic in clinical practice with recommendations for the primary use of a video laryngoscope with a Macintosh-like blade in emergency medicine. Commonly used approaches to airway management include: the hyperangulated video laryngoscope, the video laryngoscope with Macintosh blade, the conventional laryngoscope, each in combination with a stylet or bougie. Each of these methods offers specific advantages and disadvantages that may be relevant in different clinical scenarios. In previous studies under everyday conditions and in simulations, video laryngoscopy showed mixed results compared to conventional laryngoscopy in terms of first-pass success (especially in experienced users) with a trend towards increased success rates for the first intubation attempt with video laryngoscopy and a better view of the glottis. The hyperangulated video laryngoscope promises an improved view of the glottis, especially in difficult airways, while the video laryngoscope with Macintosh blade bridges the gap between conventional and video-assisted laryngoscopy. The conventional laryngoscope is still widely used. The respective laryngoscopes are often supplemented by the use of a guide rod or a bougie (tube introducer) to facilitate intubation. Some of the comparative studies conducted to date have shown a trend towards better first-pass success using a bougie, but were also inconclusive. Despite numerous studies on individual aspects of these aids, a comparison of the methods in combination in real prehospital situations is still lacking. In addition, the data regarding first-pass success in endotracheal intubation is unclear when comparing medical and non-medical personnel - some studies showed no differences, while others showed a higher success rate for emergency medical personnel. Our retrospective study aims to close these gaps in knowledge by systematically examining the success rates, number of attempts to successful intubation, complication rates and ease of use of each method. The purpose of this data analysis is to develop evidence-based recommendations for the choice of the optimal airway adjunct and thus improve patient safety and the efficiency of prehospital airway management standards, thereby reducing mortality. The prehospital and clinical data already collected as part of the internal quality management of the emergency medical services offers the opportunity to determine the incidence of the important first-pass success with various airway devices and to record previously reported complications and incidents by evaluating the internal quality management system that has already been in operation for many years.

Inclusion criteria

• All adult patients who have had their airway secured by endotracheal intubation by RDZ staff

Exclusion criteria

• Existence of a documented refusal.
• Age < 18 years.