A NEXTGEN LEARNING SPACE DESIGNED TO ELEVATE YOUR AIRWAY PRACTICE
what you’ll find here
- A stepwise approach to laryngoscopy
- Essential procedure skills
- Hands on training lab (in person)
- Coaching opportunities (in person)
rapid review to Dive Deep 🤿
This space is organized to bring you the most rapid and essential knowledge first. After that, go ahead and customize your learning by exploring what’s important to you in the content below. Look for the ✋emoji for learning that has an associated hands on component for in person learners.
The most important first step in mastering laryngoscopy is to have the right approach. It starts with this one clinical pearl. If you do this instead of the typical “plunge & pray technique in a search for the cords you will immediately increase your first pass success rate.
The most important first step in mastering laryngoscopy is to have the right approach. It starts with this one clinical pearl, and no one says it better than @TBayEDguy Yen Chow.. If you do this instead of the typical “plunge & pray technique in a search for the cords you will immediately increase your first pass success rate.
This incremental or “progressive laryngoscopy” approach will also help you avoid potentially fatal errors. AOD is another great FOAMed resource to help you build your learning network.
Rapid review of vL with glidescope
In this foundational learning space we want to give you a basic go to skillset. We chose VL with a hyperangulated blade. We think this choice is great for infrequent intubators and as a go to foundation that you can expand from there using some of our advanced learning spaces on laryngoscopy. (We have no conflict of interest or financial connection with the makers of Glidescope)
full procedure video
Microskills – from opening the mouth to tube delivery
There are three steps of laryngoscopy
- Epiglottoscopy (landmarks)
- Laryngeal Exposure
- Tube Delivery
Within each of these are a set of microskills or “gestures” that require mastery. The collection below highlights many of those important gestures so that you can practice them in our hands on stations.
step one: epiglottoscopy (finding anatomic landmarks)
Holding the laryngoscope lightly at the base of handle will allow you to place the blade in the mouth without overriding the important anatomic landmarks.
Step two: laryngeal exposure
The most important gesture in laryngeal exposure is seating the blade in the vallecula and engaging the hyo-epiglottic ligament.
A real life example of what usually occurs when you perform this maneuver. On a mannequin it’s not as dramatic, but you should still practice it at one of our hands on training labs in this space. .
step three: tube delivery ✉️
Your ability to deliver the tube depends a great deal on how you shape that stylet.
thumbs up – Tube Delivery
The glidescope has a hyper-angulated blade which gives you better views but requires the use of a rigid stylet for delivery. In order to safely pass the tube you need to withdraw the stylet. Best done by using the thumb.
thumbs up – Tube Delivery
One our favorite moments from PAC20. Tube delivery, Hawaiian Style 🏄♂️🌈 🤙 with Jim DuCanto MD @jducanto
thumbs up – Tube Delivery
After tube delivery you need to safely remove the stylet without bringing the tube with it! Here is a great tip by Jose Torres MD Another great FOAMEducator.
How helpful are these difficult airway predictor mnemonics?
Listen here about how they’re helpful and how they’re not…
the bottom line
- Slow down! Use a methodical and progressive laryngoscopy technique
- Find your landmarks (epiglottoscopy)
- Laryngeal exposure (valleculoscopy)
- Tube delivery
- Learn the optimization techniques within each of these space to improve your intubation success
step one ☝️ practice at the training lab station at your own pace
step two ✌️ when your ready visit the coaching station for feedback
Training labs and coaching stations are embedded in this space for you to use: first practice at the training lab to at your own pace. Then go ahead and engage one of our faculty coaches for real-time feedback. 👍
WHAT’S NEXT👇👇👇
For in person learners, locate any of the posters below within the installation to continue your training. Then snap the QR codes embedded within them to access the learning space. Look for the ✋emoji for integrated hands on training opportunities.
Online learning only
For remote learning only: you can use the link below to see the complete set of learning spaces available to you in this series.