Disposable versus Reusable Laryngoscopes: Are Providers' Perceptions Slowing Change?

Anesthesia providers have long depended on reusable laryngoscopes to intubate the trachea. Cross contamination from this equipment to patients has been documented in several studies and continues to be a focus of several professional organizations. Increased cleaning requirements have been shown to damage the essential light source of the laryngoscope making failed intubation and its’ devastating consequences a real concern. Since disposable laryngoscopes are now more cost efficient, recyclable and of higher quality, it is important to determine why anesthesia providers continue to be reluctant to make this change. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to examine anesthesia providers’ perceptions of disposable laryngoscopes and any change in perceptions after exposure to these products. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and written consents were obtained and anesthesia providers were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their perceptions of disposable laryngoscopes after being exposed to two different disposable laryngoscopes for several months. Thirty anesthesia providers participated and completed questionnaires. Changes in frequency of use, ease of use and number of times a switch to a reusable laryngoscope was needed. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulation demonstrated the positive attitudes regarding disposable laryngoscopes even exceeding predictions. All participating anesthesia providers ( 100%) found the disposable laryngoscope easy to use and now recommend the use of a disposable laryngoscope; 83.3% claimed the light to be superior; and 90% reported they "almost never" had to change to a reusable laryngoscope. This evidence-based quality improvement project has demonstrated positive perceptions regarding the use of disposable laryngoscopes to the extent that all now use and recommend it.