Supraglottic airways and decreased carotid blood flow

[DFIB]

No. I've heard of it and seen the videos, it looks pretty sweet. I think we were talking about getting bougies, but I'm not sure if that's fallen through or not.

I trained with the S.A.L.T. this weekend. I could revolutionize endotracheal intubation. In short if a EMT is proficient with an OPA they can technically place an ET tube. I have not used one in the field but loved them in the lab.

[Kaisu]

A lot of things that work great in the lab are unworkable on the street. A few years ago, our company added a glide scope to our airway arsenal. It was one of those visualization peer in things that easily showed a great view of the cords on the mannequin. Guess what? in the field they fogged up, obscuring the lens. Secretions and the malleability of the tissues made them useless.

ETT is still the gold standard and there is a reason for that... and really, it's not that hard.

[DFIB]

A lot of things that work great in the lab are unworkable on the street. A few years ago, our company added a glide scope to our airway arsenal. It was one of those visualization peer in things that easily showed a great view of the cords on the mannequin. Guess what? in the field they fogged up, obscuring the lens. Secretions and the malleability of the tissues made them useless.

ETT is still the gold standard and there is a reason for that... and really, it's not that hard.

You have tried the S.A.L.T. and did not like it? I don't understand the comparison to the glide scope.

[paramedicmike]

The comparison comes from an item being workable in the lab and not so workable on the street.

In Kaisu's example, the scope they used worked well in the lab but not so well on the street. The S.A.L.T. seems to work well in the lab. How does it work on the street? I don't know. I haven't looked for any studies or reports on its use. I can say that it's been out for a while and I've not seen or heard of anyone who's used one outside of a lab setting.

[DFIB]

The comparison comes from an item being workable in the lab and not so workable on the street.

In Kaisu's example, the scope they used worked well in the lab but not so well on the street. The S.A.L.T. seems to work well in the lab. How does it work on the street? I don't know. I haven't looked for any studies or reports on its use. I can say that it's been out for a while and I've not seen or heard of anyone who's used one outside of a lab setting.

I think we need to ask and see if any of our city buddies have used them. Thanks.

[Asysin2leads]

The OPs cited study was completed at the hospital I work at and one of my medical directors is a principle on it.

We have adjusted our protocol slightly since this study was published but contrary to what you might think from the results of the study, we are still using the KingLTS in our practice. About two years ago, we were given the mandate that the KingLTS was to be the only airway we use in cardiac arrest for the simple fact that, agree with it or not, paramedics are generally not the best at intubation based simply on the fact that we don't have the muscle memory to be great at it (we employ 135 medics and each medic sees 1300 patients yearly), we should really take the results of OPALS and numerous other studies to heart and make the airway as simple and mindless as possible and based on the emerging literature, the KingLTS was that device.

Hey Dave, thanks for the reply. Its always great when you can talk to someone who knows the intimates about the studies. Just out of curiosity, why are there so many medics in your system? 135 for the population of Minneapolis seems excessive. Also, how is Prince, and can you get me an autograph?

[chbare]

I think we need to ask and see if any of our city buddies have used them. Thanks.

Unfortunately, that would still be anecdote and not useful when determining what the overall effectiveness of the device might be. I have not seen a large amount of literature about the device, and what little I've seen has been anecdote.

[DFIB]

Unfortunately, that would still be anecdote and not useful when determining what the overall effectiveness of the device might be. I have not seen a large amount of literature about the device, and what little I've seen has been anecdote.

With my anecdotal experience in the lab I think it has a future. Requires very little skill. Almost too easy.