Endotrol tracheal tube and McGrath Mac are an effective combination for oral tracheal intubation

BACKGROUND: Tracheal intubation using the 2(nd)-generation video laryngoscope sometimes cannot be performed easily because there is no functional endotracheal tube (ETT) guide. Therefore, a rigid stylet is often required during tracheal intubation. The Endotrol(®) tracheal tube (Endotrol) is a single use ETT that whole tube can be bent and slide easily into the trachea. We studied the intubation ease of a combination of an Endtrol and the McGrath(®) video laryngoscope (McGrath), which is one of the 2(nd)-generation video laryngoscopes. METHODS: Sixty adult patients under general anesthesia were randomized into three groups: Group A: McGrath with Endotrol, B: McGrath with a rigid stylet attached ETT, and C: Direct laryngoscope with an ETT. The primary outcome measure was intubation time. Secondary outcomes were the number of insertion attempts required and the number of patients who complained of a sore throat after the procedure. The level of significance for each test was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Intubation time (median [range] in seconds) was shorter in Group A (32 [27–54]) than Group B (37 [27–49]) and C (37 [27–50]) (P = 0.01 for both comparison). There was no significant difference among groups for the number of insertion attempts required. The number of patients with a sore throat was lower in Group A (0) than Group B (5) and C (6) (P = 0.02 and 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: A combination of an Endtrol and a McGrath is effective for shortening intubation time and avoiding sore throats.