A field evaluation of the Esophageal Obturator Airway

The Esophageal Obturator Airway (EOA) has been considered an effective ventilatory technique for cardiopulmonary resuscitation; however, few studies of its field effectiveness have been performed. We evaluated the EOA in 158 cases of prehospital cardiac arrest resuscitated by EMT II personnel utilizing the EOA for airway maintenance. The time of insertion from arrival of the unit and the number of unsuccessful attempts were recorded. The EOA took longer than 4 minutes to insert in 47% of cases. It was incapable of being placed in 18.3% of cases, and required two or more attempts at insertion in 30%. There were six survivors in this series (3.7%). Subsequently, we measured arterial blood gas levels during ventilation with the EOA and after endotracheal intubation in 13 patients. Arterial oxygen tension greater than 60 mm Hg was achieved in only four of 13 patients with the EOA. All patients were hypercarbic and acidotic using the EOA. There was marked improvement in all parameters following ET intubation. The EOA presents technical problems which make it inferior to ET tubes in resuscitation of individuals in the field with cardiac arrest. Close monitoring of its use should be undertaken in areas where it is the primary method for airway maintenance.