Utilization of the LifeStat emergency airway device.

Objectives: Management of the airway in an emergency may be a harrowing experience. The equipment necessary to perform this procedure is often inaccessible. The LifeStat emergency airway is a portable device approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1997 for emergency cricothyrotomy. It is small enough to secure to a keychain, thus allowing instantaneous access at all times. We present a retrospective case series to report the experience of clinicians who have used the LifeStat device.

Methods: A survey instrument was sent to a convenience sample of health-care professionals who purchased the LifeStat emergency airway. The survey queried device use, user demographics, and the success, ease, complications, and location of use.

Results: One thousand surveys were distributed, and 100 individuals responded. Fifteen percent (15 of 100) reported use of the device on 17 occasions. The LifeStat was used successfully in all 17 cases. Eighty-two percent (14 of 17) of emergency use was in hospitals. In all cases the device was positioned successfully on the first attempt. No complications were reported.

Conclusions: The LifeStat device provides a relatively safe and effective means of performing emergency cricothyrotomy. The majority of emergency situations in which the device was deployed occurred in hospital settings.