HTW guidance is published on video laryngoscopy

HTW has published guidance on video laryngoscopy for people who need intubation in pre-hospital settings

The routine adoption of video laryngoscopy (VL) for people who need intubation in pre-hospital settings is not supported by evidence according to the guidance. 

Video laryngoscopes are cameras that can be used by paramedics and first responders to see inside a person’s throat or larynx while they are fitting a breathing tube before taking them to hospital.

HTW found that VL does not improve overall intubation success rates and there is no evidence to suggest improved clinical outcomes compared with direct laryngoscopy – a rigid tool used to shine a light onto the larynx.

Economic analysis by HTW estimates that the routine adoption of VL in a pre-hospital setting would not be cost effective.

HTW’s recommendation does not preclude the continued use of VL by experts in the pre-hospital setting for patients with difficult airways in settings where the devices are already available.

To read the guidance click here: https://staging.healthtechnology.wales/reports-guidance/video-laryngoscopes/