airway management

In this week’s episode of Inside EMS, co-host Chris Cebollero and I discuss the state of prehospital intubation, and pose the question: Is it time to move to supraglottic airways as our primary invasive airways? You can guess my position on the issue, but give us a listen and share your thoughts.

Jason Kodat, Gene Gandy and I have a new article in EMS World Magazine. Taking the Fear Out of Surgical Cricothyrotomy Give it a read, let us know what you think, and share with your friends.

Gene Gandy, Jason Kodat and I have a new article in EMS World Magazine. Applying the pit crew approach to RSI/DSI. Enjoy.

For the past ten years or so, some of the most fertile ground for EMS supply manufacturers has been in the realm of airway management. With the publication of studies that demonstrate EMS providers’ lack of proficiency at endotracheal intubation, along with other studies that question the efficacy of ETI in cardiac arrest, other avenues of providing advanced airway management ...

Besides networking and hanging out with my EMS tribe, some of the other highlights of my trips to national EMS conferences are the new products and innovations showcased in the exhibit halls. Some are a nifty, some are of questionable utility, and some seem to be a solution in search of a problem. although the manufacturers know their target market ...

… there’s a new column up on EMS1. The Bigotry of Low Expectations Enjoy, and I invite your comments.

This is why, boys and girls. Breath sounds alone are not sufficient, nor is the presence of breath sounds over the epigastrum sufficient reason to pull the tube. Presence of gurgling over the epigastrum is another story. Actual breath sounds can resonate through the diaphragm to be heard in the stomach, and gastric sounds can be heard vice versa. The ...

… there's a new clinical tip on EMS1.com Apneic Oxygenation: Everything You Know Is Wrong. Enjoy!

… there's a roundtable discussion on the current state of airway management on EMS1.com. Go read, and weigh in with your comments. We'd love to hear them.

Is it time EMS gave up on endotracheal intubation?

On a side note, the next time a colleague blames his difficulty intubating a patient on that "anterior larynx," check the patient's thyromental distance to see if it truly is anterior. The anterior larynx is one of the biggest "run home to Momma" excuses in paramedicine, right on up there with "looks like atrial fib" and "I was up against a valve."