Bougie Versus Endotracheal Tube Alone on First-attempt Intubation Success in Prehospital Emergency Intubation (BETA Trial)

Emergency intubation is routinely performed in the prehospital setting. Airway management in the prehospital setting has substantial challenges, such as hostile environment or lack of technical support in case of first attempt intubation failure, and inherent risk of complications, such as hypoxemia, aspiration or oesophageal intubation. This risk is higher when several attempts are needed to succeed endotracheal intubation. Thus, a successful first attempt intubation is highly desirable to avoid adverse intubation-related events. Noteworthy, prehospital emergency intubation is associated with a lower rate of first attempt intubation success when compared to emergency intubation in the emergency department (ED). Research is needed to overcome the specific challenges of airway management in the prehospital setting, and to improve the safety and efficiency of prehospital emergency intubation. Literature reports that the use of assistive devices such as bougie may increase the rate of first-attempt intubation success in the ED. To date, no randomized trial has ever studied this device in the prehospital setting. Thus, the aim of the BETA trial is to compare first attempt intubation success facilitated by the bougie versus the endotracheal tube alone in the prehospital setting.