Telemedicine and Telepresence for Prehospital and Remote Hospital Tracheal Intubation Using a GlideScope™ Videolaryngoscope: A Model for Tele-Intubation

BACKGROUND: The inability to secure a patient's airway in the prehospital setting is a major cause of potentially preventable death in the field of trauma and emergency medicine. METHODS: The University of Arizona in Tucson has established two telepresence programs, the Southern Arizona Teletrauma and Telepresence Program and Tucson Emergency Room (ER)-Link for assisting with trauma and emergency medicine patients in remote hospitals and prehospital system. Most recently, we have added videolaryngoscopes to our telepresence programs to assist with patients whose airway is difficult to manage. RESULT: We describe the first reported case of using a videolaryngoscope (GlideScope™) and a telemedicine network to assist a healthcare provider performing tracheal intubation in a remote hospital. CONCLUSION: Videolaryngoscopes allows for assistance with remote tracheal intubation and should be strongly considered as a component of teletrauma and telepresence programs to assist with difficult airway management.