• neonatal intubation
• video laryngoscopy

Intubation is a technically challenging but important skill for neonatal trainees to master. Trainees’ opportunities to perform neonatal intubation have decreased over time, due to less use of invasive ventilation, limited duty hours and changes in practice for infants born through meconium-stained fluid. Contemporary studies report suboptimal neonatal intubation success rates, ranging from 20% to 70% for paediatric residents and neonatology fellows.1

Videolaryngoscopy is a novel tool for performing, teaching and supervising intubation. Videolaryngoscopes include a camera on the laryngoscope blade which provides a wider, magnified view of the patient’s airway on a video screen. Most videolaryngoscopes, and the ones we are referring to here, can be used for either direct laryngoscopy by the intubator or indirect laryngoscopy (where the intubator uses images from the screen to perform the intubation). Both techniques allow for a supervisor to view the screen and coach the intubator during the procedure. In addition, several devices can also record videos of intubation attempts, which facilitate postintubation review and teaching.

Robinson et al 2 and O’Shea et al 3 explore the use of videolaryngoscopy to define success rates and determine reasons for failure in neonatal intubations.

In a randomised trial, O’Shea et al studied elective, premedicated intubations performed by …