Esophageal Airway

JJR512

JJR512

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I like to watch reruns of Emergency! whenever I can, which are shown daily on the RTV (Retro Television) network at 3pm (check local listings).

On the show, they frequently talk about an "esophageal airway". For example, Johnny or Roy will contact Rampart and the doc there will instruct the squad crew to start or place an esophageal airway.

What the heck is an esophageal airway? The term implies it goes into the esophagus but if you put an airway into the esophagus, wouldn't you just end up inflating the stomach?
 
I've never seen the show, but I would assume that they are referring to a multi-lumen airway that can be inserted blindly (usually into the esophagus, hence the nickname) such as a Combitube or a King Airway.
 
Its an EOA. Not used much any longer. Basically the same design as a king.
 
Is the concept that you plug up both the esophagus and the mouth/nose, so that when you provide air (O2) through the tube going into the mouth, it has no other place to go except into the lungs via the trachea?
 
It was the EOA, a blind insertion device, but it had a mask along with it.

esophageal0046.jpg


There was also it's close cousin, the EGTA, Esophageal Gastric Tube Airway, allowing for gastric decompression.

egta.jpg


When I first became an EMT-I back in the late 80's, these were the airways we were allowed to use. Even then my instructor called the EOA the "essentially obsolete airway".
 
Oooo! How cool! Thanks for the pictures!!
 
JJR512 said:
I like to watch reruns of Emergency! whenever I can, which are shown daily on the RTV (Retro Television) network at 3pm (check local listings).
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How old is this show? Personally, I've always been a "Rescue 911" girl myself. Loved William Shatner....
 
Heh EOAs... I trained on those and PTLs when I was in basic class in 07 in NM. I think only one or two services still has any on the truck.
 
EMSrush said:
How old is this show? Personally, I've always been a "Rescue 911" girl myself. Loved William Shatner....
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1972-1978

My signature is a quote from the show.
 
Ahh yes, the "airway" that still required the user to maintain a mask seal. Good times...
 
Come on, we all miss those days! Haha
 
I remember the EOA/EGTA... Thankfully, I've never had to use one of those, though I was trained in how to. Back when, the LMA was just starting to hit the field and the Combitube was also starting to become popular.
 
Yeah EOAs required you to maintain a mask seal but if you ran codes with no advanced airway options, the EOA was a GODsend. Immediately you did not have to worry about vomitus and only an idiot would put one in wrong (unfortunately there was an unacceptable amount of idiots out there I guess). I do find the Kings to be EOA 2.0 I kind of chuckle a bit when people make like they were tools of the devil. I need to bring them back to the very early 80's.
 
I checked out Retro TV to see if I could find Emergency! because I've never watched that channel or show before....

Unfortunately, hubby was in the room at the time, and he hasn't changed channel since I turned it on. Thanks a lot!! How much more Knight Rider, Magnum and A-Team can I possibly watch!? :P
 
EMSrush said:
I checked out Retro TV to see if I could find Emergency! because I've never watched that channel or show before....

Unfortunately, hubby was in the room at the time, and he hasn't changed channel since I turned it on. Thanks a lot!! How much more Knight Rider, Magnum and A-Team can I possibly watch!? :P
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It's also on Netflix instant watch. I love to hear my 3 yo say, "They're getting a call! They've got to go now."

I just found a PTL cleaning out a closet at our station week before last. We moved into this station in 1994, I'm not sure when we stopped using them. Pretty sure combitubes were the only blind airway device from at least 1998 on until Kings came out.
 
I never found the EOA to be particularly useful.

Even the current esophageal airways don't seem to be something to write home about. It is not like adequete ventilation cannot be obtained without them, and the patient usually aspirated what they were going to prior to putting one in anyway in my experience.
 
Veneficus;284088ul. patient usually aspirated what they were going to prior to putting one in anyway in my experience.[/QUOTE said:
You Really had to get there before much CPR was started. That was way before EMD so you usually lucked out and everybody was standing around. Of course, none of these patients were saved back them it seems. I am not sure the EOA really helped the pt very much but it made our lives so much easier. This was long before any BSI stuff, gloves were rarely if at all worn and we did not even have masks.

Sorry, just the dying gasps of an EMS Dinosaur :-)
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I too remember to day of doing mouth to mouth, stopping long enough to spit the pt's vomit from your mouth and then continuing, I remember using the EOA, always had a problem with snapping the mask in place and ,holding a good seal, Is it not blasphmy to work in ems or the fire service and have NO knowledge of John G and Roy D,this should be required watching material, even though sodium bicarb is no longer a front line drug.
 
MEDIC802 said:
Is it not blasphmy to work in ems or the fire service and have NO knowledge of John G and Roy D,this should be required watching material, even though sodium bicarb is no longer a front line drug.
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No matter what was wrong, a line with D5W, 1 amp of Bicarb and a 100mg Lidocaine bolus followed by a drip at 2mgs/min would fix it.
 
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