Abstract:Objective To evaluate efficacy and safety of video laryngoscope guided tracheal intubation by junior doctors. Methods Totally 240 cases of general anesthesia with American Society of anesthesiologists (ASA) I-III were performed tracheal intubation. Patients were divided into non-difficult airway group and suspected difficult airway group (n?=?120). Patients in either group were randomly sub-grouped as group D and subgroup V. In subgroup D, patients received direct laryngoscope guided tracheal intubation, and patients in group V received video laryngoscope guided tracheal intubation. Peripheral venous access was established after patients’ admission, and vital signs were monitored routinely. Under sedation with dexmeimidine hydrochloride and full topical anesthesia with lidocaine, Cormach-Lehane (C-L) grading was done by airway experts using direct laryngoscopy. All patients underwent standardized general anesthesia. anesthesiologists with 3-5 years of clinical experience were identified as junior doctors. Success rate, intubation time, C-L gradation, the incidence of postoperative complications, and hemodynamic changes before and after tracheal intubation were observed and recorded during tracheal intubation. Results No statistical significant difference in success rate, intubation time, C-L gradation, postoperative complication rate or hemodynamics changes were identified between direct laryngoscope and video laryngoscope in non-difficult airway group (P?>?0.05). In suspected difficult airway group, success rate of one-time intubation was increased while intubation time, C-L gradation and incidence of postoperative complications were decreased significantly with visual laryngoscope when compared with those using direct laryngoscope (P?0.05). No statistical significant difference in hemodynamics changes was identified between the two groups (P?>?0.05). Conclusions Video laryngoscope is safe and effective way for tracheal intubation in patients with suspected difficult airway.