Course Prework

The Definitive EMS Airway Course

  • Learn the full range of airway management techniques in this 16-hour course.
  • Work with expert faculty who know the unique challenges facing EMS providers.
  • Use proven airway devices in small group sessions.
  • Practice decision-making and airway techniques in Code AirwayTM simulations.
  • Face the most challenging patient scenarios in a no-risk environment. These include: elevated ICP, pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, status asthmaticus foreign body in the airway, direct airway trauma, multiple trauma with shock, and many more.
  • 8-hour Refresher Course available for those who have already taken The Difficult Airway Course: EMS. 

Didactic and Hands-on Training

  • Prediction of the Difficult Airway
  • Video Laryngoscopy and other advanced imaging devices
  • Medication-assisted Intubation (including RSI and RSA)
  • Pediatric intubation
  • Endotracheal tube introducers (bougie)
  • Cricothyrotomy
  • Extraglottic devices 

Find a course near you

Course Fees:

Course fees vary. Please contact the Authorized Training Center in your area for more information.

Become a Training Center

For further information about becoming an Authorized Training Center please contact Terry T. Steele at 860-679-9285 or tsteele@staging.theairwaysite.com

More Information →

Accreditation

The Difficult Airway Course: EMS 

CAPCE

This CE activity is accredited for 16.0 Advanced CEH by First Airway LLC, an organization accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE).
CAPCE Activity #: 20-FAWL-F2-0001. Provider #: FirstAir6610.

 

ASTNA

16.0 Contact Hours have been provided by the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association Certificate #2019-55. ASTNA is an approved provider for the California Board of Registered Nursing CEP 13575.

The Difficult Airway Course: EMS Refresher 

CAPCE

This CE activity is accredited for 8.0 Advanced CEH by First Airway LLC, an organization accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE).
CAPCE Activity #21-FAWL-F2-0004. Provider #: FirstAir6610.

 

ASTNA

8.0 Contact Hours have been provided by the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association. Certificate # 2021-##. ASTNA is an approved provider for the California Board of Registered Nursing CEP 13575.

Schedule

The Difficult Airway Course: EMS

Day 1

0700-0800

Registration

0800-0930

Lectures:
Introduction, Bag Mask Ventilation & Extraglottic Devices, Laryngoscopy I

0930-0945

Break

0945-1115

Lectures:
Laryngoscopy II, Mechanical Ventilation

1115-1130

Fiberoptic Tour of the Airway Video

1130-1230

Interactive Skills Session 1:
BMV and DL ETI, Extraglottic Rescue Devices, Surgical Airway Rescue, ETI via Video/Optical Laryngoscopy, Ventilator Management

1230-1330

Lunch (optional capnography lecture)

1330-1530

Interactive Skills Sessions 2 & 3:
BMV and DL ETI, Extraglottic Rescue Devices, Surgical Airway Rescue, ETI via Video/Optical Laryngoscopy, Ventilator Management

1530-1545

Break

1545-1745

Interactive Skills Sessions 4 & 5:
BMV and DL ETI, Extraglottic Rescue Devices, Surgical Airway Rescue, ETI via Video/Optical Laryngoscopy, Ventilator Management

Day 2

0730-0800

Registration

0800-0930

Lecture: Medication Facilitated Airway Management

0930-0945

Break

0945-1145

Lectures:
Predicting & Managing The Difficult Airway: An Algorithmic Approach, Demystifying the Pediatric Airway

1145-1245

Lunch

1245-1445

Interactive Workshops:
Pediatric Cases, Trauma Cases, Medical Cases, Unique EMS Cases

1445-1500

Break

1500-1515

Pre-Evaluation Wrap-Up
(Questions/Assignments/Flow for Code Airway)

1515-1745

Code Airway
Written Self-Test

Final Wrap-Up, Evaluations and Distribution of Certificates

The Difficult Airway Course: EMS Refresher

0730-0800

Registration

0800-0945

Lectures:
Introduction, Human Factors in Airway Management, Medication-Facilitated Airway Management

0945-1000

Break

1000-1030

Lecture: First Pass Success: Best Practices in Laryngoscopy (DL & VL)

1030-1100

Interactive Skills:
Basic Airway Skills Review (BVM, PEEP, SGA, EGA, OPA & NPA)

1100-1130

Instructor to Choose Lecture from:
Pediatric Airway Management, Advanced Ventilator Management, Fundamental Skills of Airway Management

1130-1215

Case Studies

1215-1245

Lunch

1245-1400

Interactive Skills:
The RSI Experience with Post Ventilator Management, The Massively Soiled Airway, Surgical Airway, Final Session Corresponds to Instructor Chosen Lecture

1400-1415

Break

1415-1530

Interactive Skills:
The RSI Experience with Post Ventilator Management, The Massively Soiled Airway, Surgical Airway, Final Session Corresponds to Instructor Chosen Lecture

1530-1545

Break

1545-1645

Code Airway

1645-1715

Exam & Review

Course Wrap-Up

I attended the course in Houston and found it to be fantastic! It completely exceeded my expectations and turned out to be well worth the trip from Vancouver. The crew in Houston do a wonderful job and besides the valuable learning experience were entertaining as well.
Tyler Keys
Vancouver, British Columbia
Have learnt some incredible skills and techniques that I wish I'd been shown sooner in my career.
Jonathan Search
Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

NCCP Mapping

NCCP National Component Sub Topics Hours Met
Ventilation 2
Capnography 1
Oxygenation 0.5
Central Nervous System (CNS) Injury 1
Fluid Resuscitation 0.5
Medication Delivery 1
Pain Management 1
Crew Resource Management 1
Total Hours Met with The Difficult Airway Course: EMS™ 8

This mapping is based on our assessment of The Difficult Airway Course: EMS and the 2016 NCCP National Component requirements.
For more information about NCCP National Component requirements, please visit https://www.nremt.org/rwd/public/document/nccp.

Regional Course Directors

Name Email Area
Rudy Princi
Rudolph.Princi@stonybrookmedicine.edu
 Rudolph.Princi@stonybrookmedicine.edu USA: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
Fred Ellinger
fred.ellinger@difficultairway.net
 fred.ellinger@difficultairway.net USA: Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania
Michael Keller
mkeller@camdeneducation.net
 mkeller@camdeneducation.net USA: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
Kevin Franklin
kmfranklin@mac.com
 kmfranklin@mac.com USA: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska
Cory Cox
cory.cox@hsc.utah.edu
 cory.cox@hsc.utah.edu USA: Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Alaska
Ken Davis
ken.davis@emsrx.com
 ken.davis@emsrx.com USA: Arkansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Latin America: Ecuador, Chile, Mexico
James Habstritt
james@promedics.org
 james@promedics.org Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
Jamie Todd
jamie@staging.theairwaysite.com
 jamie@staging.theairwaysite.com Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Hungary, Former Yugoslavia (Bosnia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Serbia), Albania, Greece, Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova, Algeria, Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Estevão Lafuente, MD
emlafuente@mac.com
 emlafuente@mac.com Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Andorra
John Bastian Etti
bastian.etti@med1plus.de
 bastian.etti@med1plus.de Germany, Austria, Switzerland