Authors: Gómez-Ríos MÁ, et al.
European Journal of Anaesthesiology 42(10): 872-888, October 2025. doi:10.1097/EJA.0000000000002210
This international consensus statement, led by the Spanish Society of Anaesthesiology (SEDAR), the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES), the Latin American Federation of Emergency Medicine (FLAME), and an international group of airway experts, sets out multidisciplinary recommendations advocating for universal adoption of videolaryngoscopy (VL) in both emergency and elective airway management.
The working group defined six domains of interest: clinical benefits, infrastructure and accessibility, guidelines and protocols, teaching and training, dissemination and promotion, and innovation and sustainability. Evidence was assessed through a rapid systematic review, analyzed using the GRADE methodology, and integrated with expert consensus where data were limited. Ultimately, 12 recommendations were produced, most of which were supported by expert opinion due to the current low quality of evidence.
What You Should Know:
The expert panel strongly endorses videolaryngoscopy as the default first-line approach for airway management, highlighting its potential to improve safety, standardization, and training. Although the evidence base remains modest, widespread use of VL is considered an important step toward reducing airway-related complications.
Clinical Relevance:
For anesthesiologists and emergency physicians, these recommendations reinforce a paradigm shift: videolaryngoscopy should become the standard of care rather than a backup tool. Hospitals and training programs are encouraged to ensure accessibility, incorporate VL into teaching curricula, and align local protocols with these consensus recommendations.
References
Guideline/consensus
Authors: Apfelbaum JL, et al.
Anesthesiology 136(1):31–81, 2022. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000004002
Authors: Higgs A, et al.
Anaesthesia 77(5):471–507, 2022. doi:10.1111/anae.15722
Supporting evidence
Authors: Lewis SR, et al.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 11:CD011136, 2022. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011136.pub3
Authors: Aziz MF, et al.
Anesthesiology 129(4):761–774, 2018. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000002354
Thank you to the European Journal of Anaesthesiology for allowing us to use this article.