Rapidity and accuracy of tracheal intubation in a mannequin: comparison of the fibreoptic with the Bullard laryngoscope.

Successful tracheal intubation with the flexible fibreoptic bronchoscope requires a certain amount of skill which is acquired by practice. It has been suggested that the new Bullard laryngoscope may be mastered more easily. To determine if learning was superior with a flexible fibreoptic or the Bullard device, the ease of tracheal intubation with both devices was compared by first-year anaesthetic residents, using a mannequin modified to make intubation difficult. The Bullard laryngoscope was as easy to master as the flexible fibreoptic device, but passage of the tracheal tube took longer. Both devices require a similar amount of practice.