This endotracheal tube holding device, the Heath Hitch, enables tight and secure intubation for multiple difficult airway circumstances. Imagine critical situations in which you’ve inserted a tube, but blood, sweat, vomit, thick beards, or facial trauma makes keeping that tube in place nearly impossible. The Heath Hitch provides a secure anchor for a patient’s airway when traditional methods fall short. The Heath Hitch features non-compliant material, a pre-tabbed clove-hitch, and a closure clamp. Endotracheal intubation is a medical procedure that places a tube into the trachea through the mouth. The procedure keeps a patient’s airway open, supporting breathing, removing blockages, enabling a better view of the airway, and protecting the lungs. Endotracheal intubations are common in emergencies; keeping the tube secure is vital during transportation, movement, or irregularities.
Available technologies on the market are the Hayes Hitch technique and the Thomas Tube Holder. The Thomas Tube holder, used in emergency medical service (EMS) applications, is bulky, unable to secure a supraglottic or front neck airway, and requires different sizes for adult and pediatric patients. The Hayes Hitch technique requires practice and skill in knot tying for proficient use, is time-consuming to place, and the nasal cannula requires retightening as the material stretches; the provider cannot loosen the device for adjustments. Another limitation of the available technologies is the requirement of tape to secure the tightness of the tube holder. Tape adheres poorly in acute situations, such as those involving blood or vomit.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed the Heath Hitch, an endotracheal tube-holding device, to allow for secure intubation in difficult airway circumstances. The Heath Hitch is a plastic tube with a pre-formed clove-hitch that quickly secures around a patient’s head with a closure clamp. The closure clamp allows the tube holder to readjust and eliminates the use of tape. This technology also can be used in veterinary applications.
An easy-to-use endotracheal tube holder to secure intubation effectively in any circumstance
Heath Hitch provides tight and secure intubation in multiple difficult airway circumstances. The device is made from plastic, eliminating movement as plastic-on-plastic and plastic-on-skin do not move. The clove-hitch is pre-packaged on tabs, equipped with an adjustable “zip-tie” and free-floating lines. The provider breaks the tabs on the device and puts it over the tube, securing the clove and tightening the adjustable zip-tie. If the intubation needs readjustment, the provider can loosen and back the tube out, readjust the clove-hitch, retighten, and re-secure.
The Heath Hitch does not require knot-tying skills or practice beyond a single demonstration. It deploys in less than 10 seconds with locking mechanisms that enable unlimited adjustments and comprises non-compliant material that will not stretch. It works on any airway, including oral and nasal endotracheal tubes, front-of-neck airways, and even orogastric tubes. Additionally, it packages in a fraction of the space as other technologies and one size fits adult and pediatric populations.
