Emergency intubation with the combitube®: Comparison with the endotracheal airway

Study objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Combitube ® as used by ICU nurses under medical supervision compared with endotracheal airway established by ICU physicians during CPR. Design: Prospective study of ICU patients over a seven-month period. Setting: Medical ICU. Participants: Thirty-seven patients suffering from cardiac arrest. Interventions: Emergency intubation with either the Combitube ® by nurses or the endotracheal airway by physicians and subsequent mechanical ventilation. Measurements and main results: Evaluation of blood gases after 20 minutes of mechanical ventilation. Intubation time was shorter for the Combitube ® ( P 2 was slightly higher during ventilation with the Combitube ® ( P Conclusion: The Combitube ® as used by ICU nurses was as effective as establishment of the endotracheal airway by intensivists during CPR. The Combitude ® may be used whenever endotracheal intubation cannot be performed immediately.