KING AIRWAY problems

[ctknbjones]

I am wondering if any other service uses The King airways and if so has anyone had any problems with them?

[scribble]

So, you finally decided to post, eh?

We don't use em in my state. I don't trust them....combitube you can ventilate no matter where the tube is, king....uh uh...

[lfsvr0114]

We use them. Last time i used one, we could not suction the pt fast enough. There is a place to put a suction catheter, but the pt had just eaten and there was vomit everywhere. We had to keep using a larger catheter and put it down the main part of the tube. This means there is massive aspiration issues. Our pt did not make it, but giving the pt aspiration pneumonia if they do survive just made the survival rate go down the tubes.

[StreetDoc67]

We don't use them in our region but I know for a fact that the manufacturer's own literature advises that the patient should have an empty stomach.

Well, I don't know about you guys, but I've never had a full arrest patient let me know when or what they last ate so I don't know if this is the right airway for pre-hospital application. It may be great for the OR where they can control your input, but out here in the land of chaos I think the good old reliable combi-tube should trump the King every time.

[Dorkfish]

We are waiting for the combi tubes to go out of date so they can be replaced with the king . I have had an in service in them , and I was not impressed . My truck being an ALS double medic truck , we do not have much call for either one .

[medic_in_2009]

We use the Kings and are soon to put in service the ones with the little ports for suction catheters or gastric tubes. Supposedly you can put up to an 18 Fr in the suckers.

[lfsvr0114]

We use the Kings and are soon to put in service the ones with the little ports for suction catheters or gastric tubes. Supposedly you can put up to an 18 Fr in the suckers.

The ones we have do allow for up to 18fr suction catheters. Problem is, is if they have anything in the stomach the suction catheters may not be able to handle all of the contents. We had to keep placing the yankeur tubing on the end of the king tube and it was a mess everywhere.

[Medic_QT]

We looked into them, but thankfully my department is a fan of the combitube for the tubes we just can't get.

They seem like the application would be along the lines of LMA's. People used to carry them, but they did little good when it comes to protection from aspiration. That's why they're great for anesthesia after the patient has been NPO for 24 hours.

[brandon911]

At the service I work for we use them as a back up airway. We took combi-tubes off and put these in service. We have not had any problems to date.

brandon911

[ecfr1978]

At the service I work for we use them as a back up airway. We took combi-tubes off and put these in service. We have not had any problems to date.

This is how it is at the FD and EMS service I work for. Ours have the 18fr pre packaged, I have heard several times that these are the standard of care in South Florida (anyone from there confirm/ deny this). Our MD has made several comments that these might become our primary airway (if one is needed).