The first attempt success rates for neonatal intubation is less than 50%. Video laryngoscopy (VL) has been shown to improve state first pass success compared to direct laryngoscopy (DL) in both children and adults, but few studies have looked at the neonatal population.
This study was a randomized control trial. There was a 74% first pass success rate for VL compared to a 45% first pass success rate for DL. There were no differences in secondary outcomes which include hypoxia, bradycardia, epinephrine administration, oral trauma and correct positioning.
References
Geraghty LE, Dunne EA, Ní Chathasaigh CM, Vellinga A, Adams NC, O'Currain EM, McCarthy LK, O'Donnell CPF. Video versus Direct Laryngoscopy for Urgent Intubation of Newborn Infants. N Engl J Med. 2024 May 30;390(20):1885-1894. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2402785. Epub 2024 May 5. PMID: 38709215.
Lee MJ, Redpath S, Perry JJ. Video versus direct laryngoscopy for urgent intubation of newborn infants. CJEM. 2025 Mar 8. doi: 10.1007/s43678-025-00859-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40056256.
