Prehospital pediatric King LT-D use: a pilot study.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Pediatric Airway Management
• Medical Device Evaluation

Background:

• Securing a pediatric airway during respiratory arrest is critical in prehospital settings.
• The King laryngeal tube (LT-D) is an established supraglottic airway device.
• Evaluating novel pediatric airway devices is essential for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the success rate of prehospital providers in placing the pediatric King laryngeal tube (LT-D).
• To evaluate the time to first adequate ventilation using the pediatric King LT-D in a simulated pediatric respiratory arrest.
• To determine provider perceptions and preferences for the pediatric King LT-D compared to other pediatric airway devices.

Main Methods:

• Forty-five paramedics and flight nurses participated in a simulation using a Laerdal SimBaby pediatric manikin.
• Participants received limited training on the pediatric King LT-D, building on adult device experience.
• Outcomes included successful placement rate, number of attempts, time to ventilation, and a skills test score.

Main Results:

• The pediatric King LT-D was successfully placed in 95.5% of attempts.
• The median number of attempts for placement was one, with a mean placement time of 34 seconds.
• Ninety percent of participants passed the airway management skill test, with a mean score of 78.2%.

Conclusions:

• The pediatric King LT-D can be placed quickly and reliably by prehospital providers in a simulated environment.
• Providers perceived the pediatric King LT-D as easier to use than pediatric endotracheal intubation.
• The pediatric King LT-D is considered a viable alternative airway device for pediatric emergencies.