title: Comparing the effectiveness of airway management devices in pre-hospital emergency care: A randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of laryngeal mask airway, endotracheal tube and oropharyngeal airway for airway management in prehospital emergency care.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample of this randomized clinical trial was 54 patients needing pre-hospital airway management. All cases of intubation (ETI); after two failed attempts (37 patients), were randomly assigned to the oropharyngeal airway (OPA), and the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) groups. Patients' hemodynamic, SaO2 and airway management parameters, were compared in three groups. The study data were analyzed by the Chi-square and one-way ANOVA, Bonferroni post-hoc, using SPSS, v. 18.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results demonstrated that before and after the study, there was no significant difference among the study groups in terms of hemodynamic variables (P > 0.05) expect SaO2 (P < 0.001). The results also revealed that in the ETI group (n=17), the number of attempts and the time spent on inserting the airway device was significantly more than other two groups (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laryngeal mask airway is as effective as oropharyngial airway for pre-hospital airway management by paramedics.
authors.affiliation: Shahla Khosravan, Msc, PhD in Nursing. Associate Professor of Nursing and Midwifery School, Social Determinants of Health Research Centre, Gonabad university of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khosravan
authors.affiliation: Ali Alami, MD, PhD in Epidemiology. Assistant Professor of Health School, Social Determinants of Health Research Centre, Gonabad university of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alami
authors.affiliation: Arash Hamzei, MD. Specialist in Anesthesiology, Assistant Professor of Faculty of Paramedics, Operating and Anaesthesia Department, Gonabad university of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamzei
authors.affiliation: Jalal Borna, Msc Medical-Surgical. Student Research Committee, Nursing and Midwifery School, Gonabad university of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Jalal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borna
keywords: Airway management; Endotracheal tube; Laryngeal mask airway; Oropharyngeal airway; Pre-hospital