Success Rates of Video- vs. Direct Laryngoscopy for Endotracheal Intubation in Anesthesiology Residents: A Randomized Controlled Trial" (The JuniorDoc-VL-Trial)

Securing the airway is a core competence of anaesthetists, intensive care physicians and emergency physicians, as oxygenation of the human organism is not possible without an open or secured airway. The introduction of new techniques and the implementation of guidelines and strategies for the care of the difficult airway have contributed significantly to a reduction in morbidity and mortality. Of particular importance are problems that can occur during airway management, which are referred to in anaesthesiology as the "difficult airway". The term "difficult airway" refers to problems that can occur during airway management. Despite technological advances in the field of airway management, such as the use of video laryngoscopes, the definition of a difficult airway is still based on the traditional methods of mask ventilation and intubation using direct laryngoscopy. In recent years, several airway management studies suggest that the primary use of video laryngoscopes in adult patients undergoing endotracheal intubation is associated with a reduction in failed attempts and complications such as hypoxaemia.Problems during endotracheal intubation are often subsumed under the term "difficult intubation" without differentiating between "laryngoscopy" and "endotracheal intubation". However, if indirect laryngoscopy techniques are used, such as videolaryngoscopic intubation, a clear distinction must be made between the two procedures, as the incidence of difficult laryngoscopy is always lower than that of difficult or impossible intubation. The incidence of difficult direct laryngoscopy is 1.5% to 8.0%, while the incidence of difficult intubation is slightly lower. A potentially life threatening unexpected "cannot intubate, cannot ventilate" situation has a probability of0.008% (1:13,000) to 0.004% (1:25,000). In a randomised study design, we would like to record resident anaesthesiologists (first-year) learning the skill of endotracheal intubation with direct and indirect laryngoscopy in order to derive and analyse anaesthesiological quality parameters, such as first-pass success and possible complications. The individual learning curves of those entering the profession will also be taken into account in order to gain insights for the improvement of training programmes and training methods in anaesthesiology.