A Comparison of the Ease of Tracheal Intubation Using a McGrath MAC Laryngoscope and a Standard MacIntosh Laryngoscope

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01516164

Enrollment

158

Registered

2012-01-24

Start date

2012-03-31

Completion date

2014-02-28

Last updated

2014-10-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Tracheal Intubation

Keywords

Laryngoscopy, Videolaryngoscopy, Ease of Intubation

Brief summary

Videolaryngoscopes offer the potential to make tracheal intubation easier for the anaesthetist and less traumatic for the patient. This study aims to compare the intubation difficulty scores (a validated scoring system for ease of intubation) using the McGrath MAC as a videolaryngoscope, the McGrath MAC only as a direct laryngoscope (without video screen) and the MacIntosh laryngoscopes.

Interventions

DEVICELaryngoscopy

After establishing full monitoring, inducing general anaesthesia and ensuring paralysis laryngoscopy is performed and the patient's trachea intubated.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

16 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Elective procedure requiring oral tracheal tube intubation * Over 16 years of age * Airway assessment suggests to the anaesthetist that a standard MacIntosh laryngoscope approach to intubation would be appropriate.

Exclusion criteria

* Emergency procedure * Less than 16 years of age * Unable to consent * Requiring Rapid Sequence Induction (a specialised anaesthetic induction technique) * Predicted difficult intubation * Not suitable for the standardised induction technique

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Intubation Difficulty Score	5 minutes	The Intubation Difficulty Scale (IDS) is a numerical score based on seven parameters. The scoring of each parameter represents a divergence from an 'ideal' condition and the total score represents a sum divergence from a zero difficulty ideal intubation. The seven parameters are number of supplementary attempts, number of supplementary operators, number and type of alternative techniques used, laryngoscopic grade, subjective lifting force, the use of external laryngeal manipulation and mobility or position of the vocal cords.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Number and types of alternative techniques used	5 minutes
Perception of force used	5 minutes
Time to intubation	5 minutes
Ease of intubation	5 minutes
Failure to intubate	5 minutes
Complications	5 minutes

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026