King LTS-D

[Spock]

I've been using the King LTS and LT as a primary airway in the OR for almost 2 years and have used it at least 100 times. As soon as PA approved it for prehospital use last year my service replaced the combitube with the King as a rescue airway. So far it has been used 5 times with good success. My experience tells me this could and should be a BLS skill (sorry Dust). I would also be interested in the Iowa study if it has been published.

I'm not going to get deep into the 70 second intubation discussion except to say I am not surprised. A study in Critical Care Medicine in August 2005 reported that almost 40% of PA paramedics had ZERO intubations during the study year. If you perform a skill rarely you will struggle with it.

Live long and prosper.

Spock

[Dustdevil]

My experience tells me this could and should be a BLS skill (sorry Dust).

Ummm... I think what you really meant to say was that you think this could be an EMT skill, right?

Unless you're saying these should be sold OTC? :?

[Spock]

All sarcasm aside I equate BLS with EMT. First responders may be a different story although if they can place an oral airway and use a BVM I don't see why they couldn't use a King.

Live long and prosper.

Spock

[tskstorm]

This brings up another interesting point, here in NYC, they will not approve Combi or King tubes for BLS, not for reasons of patient care but because of unions!

They(union) refuses to allow the city to give BLS/EMT-B more skills, as they want to add skills, but not add to the pay scale. If they were to increase the EMT-B pay scale then of course the Medics will want a pay increase too, so they stick with Combi tubes as an ALS skill.

[medic368]

I know my people who have been in EMS aren't open to change but I beleive and the numbers are showing us that this is going to be something good

[tskstorm]

I know my people who have been in EMS aren't open to change but I beleive and the numbers are showing us that this is going to be something good

The numbers posted were on mannequins. In a system that doesn't do many intubation's.

As a paramedic student I've done 3 tubes in the last 2 months, and thats averaging only 20 hours a week on an ALS ambulances.

Theres a good chance that in a system where the medics intubate often the nubers would be substantially different.

[Dustdevil]

All sarcasm aside I equate BLS with EMT.

Well, I agree with you on the first responder thing. I equate them with EMTs. No real difference to me. That's why BLS and EMT are not synonymous.

I equate BLS with anything that does not require a physicians order, regardless of who is applying it. After all, physicians, nurses, and paramedics apply BLS too.

I'm not saying EMTs cannot apply ALS. I'm saying that if it requires a physicians order, it is ALS, regardless of who is applying it. That is indisputable fact.

[AZCEP]

I know my people who have been in EMS aren't open to change but I beleive and the numbers are showing us that this is going to be something good

Perhaps you should explain what makes this "something good".

How is adding to a provider's procedure list good when the base understanding of when and why to use the procedures they already have is so poor? Adding an advanced skill to and under-educated group is going to cause all kinds of problems when it comes to application.

[mobey]

Perhaps you should explain what makes this "something good".

How is adding to a provider's procedure list good when the base understanding of when and why to use the procedures they already have is so poor? Adding an advanced skill to and under-educated group is going to cause all kinds of problems when it comes to application.

I have no idea how in depth the anatomy portion of the US EMT-B course is....But if it is anywhere near Canada's I too agree this could easily be an EMT skill. But I believe it should be used only in cardiac arrest transport times > than 5 min.

I'm pretty rocky on this though, feel free to change my point of view!!

[Dustdevil]

I have no idea how in depth the anatomy portion of the US EMT-B course is....But if it is anywhere near Canada's I too agree this could easily be an EMT skill.

The entire course is only a month long. Two weeks of that is classroom. To cover everything.

So how in depth do you think the anatomy portion could be?