The esophageal obturator airway. A review.

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.