Barriers to video laryngoscopy in low-middle incomes countries

Abstract

The patient in this case study presented to a rural surgical clinic in Guatemala for surgery with characteristics of a probable difficult airway. In the United States, anesthesia providers will often use a video laryngoscope (VL) to manage an expected difficult airway requiring an endotracheal tube. However, many barriers exist towards this technology being adopted as common practice in low-middle income countries (LMICs) like Guatemala. These barriers include financial resources, education, and training. Thankfully, the Air Angel Project, a medical nonprofit, has designed the AirAngel Blade: a 3D printed VL blade equipped for use with a commercially available endoscope and an Android smartphone. The AirAngel Blade was used in the management of the patient in this case study to secure the patient's airway quickly and without complications. At only a fraction of the cost of commercially available VL blades, the AirAngel blade can meet the challenges of airway management in LMICs by being accompanied with adequate education and training for using this device. Certified registered nurse anesthetists are perfectly positioned to bring this technology to LMICs and change the way the difficult airway is managed for the better.

Authors

Mason Easterling
Mary Beth Greenway

Author Details

Mason Easterling, BSN, SRNA and Mary Beth Greenway, DNP, CRNA

Sigma Membership

Unknown

Lead Author Affiliation

Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Case Study/Series

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

Difficult Airway, Video Laryngoscopy, Low-Middle Income Countries, Laryngoscopy, Barriers

Advisor

Greenway, Mary Beth

Second Advisor

Herbinger, Lisa

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

Samford University

Degree Year

2024

Recommended Citation

Easterling, Mason and Greenway, Mary Beth, "Barriers to video laryngoscopy in low-middle incomes countries" (2024). Group: Samford University Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing. 47.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/samford/47

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2024-01-22

Full Text of Presentation

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