[Alternative airwaymanagement in theprehospitalsetting]

Airway management in the prehospital setting is a particular challenge. Even with numerous alternative devices, endotracheal intubation still represents the gold standard. Limited knowledge and experience of the user in addition to a critical patient's condition, special environmental conditions and limited material resources at the out of hospital emergency, are major causes of an increased incidence of difficult airways in the preclinical setting. For the management of the difficult airway emergency physicians can use alternatives to tracheal intubation such as extraglottic airway devices, videolaryngoscopy and cricothyroidotomy. Both direct laryngoscopy as well as the use of alternative devices require experience and continuous training.