UC Davis

Video laryngoscopy outperforms direct laryngoscopy for successful orotracheal intubation in the emergency department. When performing video laryngoscopy, emergency physicians may use a standard geometry blade or a hyperangulated blade. Hyperangulated video laryngoscopy is easier when using a rigid hyperangulated stylet instead of a standard malleable stylet. The angulation of the hyperangulated blade makes it difficult to use an endotracheal tube (ETT) introducer (bougie). We describe a case report using a DuCanto suction catheter (SSCOR) with a preloaded bougie to perform orotracheal intubation during hyperangulated video laryngoscopy. An adult patient presented to the emergency department in status epilepticus and was intubated for airway protection. Hyperangulated video laryngoscopy was performed with a LoPro S4 (GlideScope) blade; a DuCanto suction catheter was used to deliver a bougie through the vocal cords. The bougie was advanced down the trachea, and the DuCanto suction catheter was removed. The bougie successfully delivered a size 8.0 ETT. Visualization of the larynx with hyperangulated video laryngoscopy is usually easy, but ETT delivery into the trachea can be challenging. Rigid hyperangulated stylets were created to facilitate ETT delivery, but these stylets are expensive and often not available. Traditional teaching says that a bougie cannot be used while intubating with a hyperangulated blade. This case report describes a method to deliver a bougie via a DuCanto suction catheter during hyperangulated video laryngoscopy. It allows for the use of a bougie with a hyperangulated blade and offers a technique to perform hyperangulated video laryngoscopy without a rigid stylet.