The esophageal obturator airway. A review
J. P. Smith, B. I. Bodai, A. Seifkin, S. Palder and V. Thomas
The esophageal obturator airway (EOA) has been considered a beneficial
ventilatory technique for use in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). At
present, seven studies in the literature compare the EOA with other means
of ventilation in humans; only one is an actual field study of its
effectiveness. We reviewed the available literature dealing with the device
to define clearly its role in the ventilatory treatment of patients who
require CPR. There appears to be no current evidence of the EOA's
effectiveness for ventilation in prehospital cardiac arrest, and fatal
complications have been reported with its use. The use of the EOA to
replace endotracheal intubation in airway management is not substantiated
in the literature.
