A randomized controlled trial comparing the ease of tracheal intubation using a McGrath MAC laryngoscope and a standard Macintosh laryngoscope

The first video laryngoscope became available in 2001. Since then, we have seen a proliferation of devices appearing on the market. Many of these devices have an acutely curved blade, and therefore, require a different insertion technique to the traditional Macintosh laryngoscope and a rigid device to aid tracheal tube placement. In contrast, the McGrath® MAC (Aircraft Medical Ltd, Edinburgh, UK) combines the familiarity of the Macintoshstyle blade with video laryngoscopy technology, allowing both direct and indirect viewing. Publications such as the Difficult Airway Society ‘ADEPT’ guidance1 encourage clinicians to provide evidence to justify acquisition of novel airway devices. This study was designed to determine the efficacy and safety of the McGrath MAC as both a direct and an indirect laryngoscope, when compared with the Macintosh laryngoscope.