The EasyTube for airway management in emergencies.
BACKGROUND
The EasyTube (EzT) is a new sterile, disposable airway device approved by the European Union in February 2003 and by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January 2005. The two-lumen design of the EzT enables it to be used as an endotracheal tube or as a supraglottic emergency airway.


OBJECTIVE
To report the preliminary experiences with the EzT airway device in prehospital and in-hospital emergency airway management procedures.


METHODS
All airway management procedures involving the EzT were recorded for a period of 18 months.


RESULTS
The EzT was successfully used to intubate 15 patients with unanticipated airway difficulties during either anesthesia induction or prehospital airway management. In all patients, the EzT was positioned successfully in the first attempt, within a median time of 31 seconds until start of ventilation. Effective supraglottic ventilation and oxygenation was achieved within 25 to 40 seconds. In three patients, the EzT needed one additional repositioning maneuver. On removal of the EzT, no blood was observed on the surface of the device, as a sign of absence of potential mucosal lesion. No injuries were observed in the mouth, pharynx, or esophagus.


CONCLUSIONS
The first experiences with the use of the EzT are promising. In emergency airway management procedures presenting problems, the device successfully established sufficient ventilation and oxygenation. Further studies are needed to compare its value with those of other supraglottic devices.
Thierbach
Andreas R
AR
Department of Anesthesiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany. thierbach@uni-mainz.de
Piepho
Tim
T
Maybauer
Marc
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation*