title: Learning endotracheal intubation using a novel videolaryngoscope improves intubation skills of medical students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Teaching endotracheal intubation to medical students is a task provided by many academic anesthesia departments. We tested the hypothesis that teaching with a novel videolaryngoscope improves students' intubation skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively assessed in medical students (2nd clinical year) intubation skills acquired by intubation attempts in adult anesthetized patients during a 60-hour clinical course using, in a randomized fashion, either a conventional Macintosh blade laryngoscope or a videolaryngoscope (C-MAC®). The latter permits direct laryngoscopy with a Macintosh blade and provides a color image on a video screen. Skills were measured before and after the course in a standardized fashion (METI Emergency Care Simulator) using a conventional laryngoscope. All 1-semester medical students (n = 93) were enrolled.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The students' performance did not significantly differ between groups before the course. After the course, students trained with the videolaryngoscope had an intubation success rate on a manikin 19% higher (95% CI 1.1%-35.3%; P < 0.001) and intubated 11 seconds faster (95% CI 4-18) when compared with those trained using a conventional laryngoscope. The incidence of "difficult (manikin) laryngoscopy" was less frequent in the group trained with the videolaryngoscope (8% vs 34%; P = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Education using a video system mounted into a traditional Macintosh blade improves intubation skills in medical students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Universität Duisburg–Essen, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany. frank.herbstreit@uk-essen.de
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Herbstreit
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fassbender
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haberl
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kehren
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peters
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020704:Laryngoscopes; D008348:Manikins; D009048:Motor Skills; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013337:Students, Medical; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014741:Video Recording