Difficult airway management in adults: Insights from an observational cohort study on the use of videolaryngoscopy and fiberoptic bronchoscopy in a direct laryngoscopy-based practice

The routine use of videolaryngoscopy and fiberoptic bronchoscopy for anticipated difficult tracheal intubations led to a very low incidence of unanticipated failed tracheal intubations with direct laryngoscopy. Therefore, routinely using more expensive videolaryngoscopes for all intubations would prevent only very small numbers of unanticipated failed direct laryngoscopic intubations and is not financially justified.