Advanced Prehospital Airway Management: Analyzing Success Rates and Predictors of King Laryngeal Tube Use

Background/Objectives: Prehospital advanced airway management significantly affects patient outcomes. The King Laryngeal Tube (King LT) has been a standard method for managing compromised airways in various emergency medical services (EMSs). However, in-depth analyses of first-attempt success and influencing factors are limited. This study explores the use of the King LT in Saudi Arabia to assess the first-attempt success rate and predictors of successful management. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze cases requiring the King LT in the main EMS provider in Saudi Arabia between October 2021 and September 2022. A descriptive analysis was employed for categorical data, and Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and a regression analysis were applied to assess the significance of the association. Results: Of the 239 analyzed cases, adults (58.6%) and males (70.7%) were predominant. The highest proportions of cases were medical cases (36.8%) and indoor incidents (69.9%), with a significant association of indoor incidents with female and elderly patients (p = 0.001). The first-attempt success rate reached 82.4%, with significant success likelihood in afternoon incidents (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.53–3.57]; p = 0.03). Conclusions: This first nationwide study of King LT outlines advanced airway management characteristics in Saudi Arabia. The high use rates in adults, males, medical cases, and indoor incidents could suggest tailored training strategies. Noted temporal variations may provide insights for policy improvements. While first-attempt success rates are high, reflecting literature findings; performance could improve with further training.