Mouth-to-Mouth Airway

WLMD ID: aleo, aldl

An anesthesiologist’s responsibilities include resuscitation of the patient, should that become necessary.  The Austrian-American anesthesiologist, Dr. Peter Safar (1924-2003) and Mr. Frank McMahon (1911-2005) introduced their Mouth-to-Mouth Airway in 1958.  Mr. McMahon was then a Captain in the Baltimore City Fire Department, which he later supervised as a Battalion Chief.  He is credited with forming one of the nation’s first emergency medical services (EMS) departments.   Dr. Safar has been called “the father of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation” (CPR.)  His work, together with that of Dr. James Elam (1918-1995), led directly to the development of today’s CPR technique, and to the design of CPR training mannequins.  Dr. Safar also founded new academic departments and research programs in the fields of anesthesiology, critical care medicine, pain medicine, resuscitation and emergency medicine.  This prototype of the mouth-to-mouth airway was made of chrome.  The plastic version shown beside it is a “Resuscitube” made by Johnson & Johnson; it became standard equipment in ambulances.

Catalog Record: Mouth-to-Mouth Airway Mouth-to-Mouth Airway

Access Key: aleo

Accession No.: 2013-06-26-1

Title: [ Mouth-to-mouth airway] / [Peter J. Safar and Martin C. McMahon].

Author: Safar, Peter J., 1924-2003.

Author: McMahon, Martin C., 1910-2005.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Safar airway.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Resusitube prototype.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Safar oropharyngeal airway.

Publisher: [Baltimore, Maryland] : [The individual or organization that built this airway is not indicated], [between 1956 and 1960?].

Physical Description: 1 airway : metals ; 4 x 3.5 x 17 cm.

Subject: Airway Management – instrumentation.
Subject: Oropharyngeal Airway Devices.
Subject: Resuscitation – instrumentation.
Subject: Respiration, Artificial – instrumentation.

Web Link: https://www.woodlibrarymuseum.org/museum/item/823/mouth-to-mouth-airway

Note Type: General
Notes: The early year in the date range for the possible year of production is based on the year that the airway was first described in a publication (Mouth-to-mouth airway, 1957). The end date is an estimate based on the year that the earliest reference to the plastic resuscitube was found (1959). The date range could change if documentation that indicates the dates should be corrected is discovered. The date range could change if documentation, or expert opinion, indicates that it should be corrected.

Note Type: General
Notes: The title is based on the title of the article in which a description of the airway was first published (Mouth-to-mouth airway, 1957).

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Mouth-to-mouth airway. Anesthesiology. 1957;18(6):904-906.

Note Type: Physical Description
Notes: One supraglottic airway made of metal; The measurements and physical description are based on the perspective of a patient, as though the airway is in place; The measurements are approximately 3.9 x 3.5 x 16.8 cm; From a lateral view the airway is “S” shaped; The longer portion is the oropharyngeal patient side, and is cured for the oropharyngeal space; The shorter portion is curved in the opposite direction, and is for the rescuer to blow into; Between the two portions is an oval flange; There is visible evidence of where the two pieces were welded together; This may have been a working prototype or early test version.

Note Type: Reproduction
Notes: Photographed with a metal version (accession number 2013-06-26-1) by Mr. Steve Donisch, February 10, 2014.

Note Type: Acquisition
Notes: Donated to the WLM by Ms. Sarah Pender

Note Type: Historical
Notes: An anesthesiologist’s responsibilities include resuscitation of the patient, should that become necessary. The Austrian-American anesthesiologist, Dr. Peter Safar (1924-2003) and Mr. Frank McMahon (1911-2005) introduced their Mouth-to-Mouth Airway in 1958. Mr. McMahon was then a Captain in the Baltimore City Fire Department, which he later supervised as a Battalion Chief. He is credited with forming one of the nation’s first emergency medical services (EMS) departments. Dr. Safar has been called “the father of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation” (CPR.) His work, together with that of Dr. James Elam (1918-1995), led directly to the development of today’s CPR technique, and to the design of CPR training mannequins. Dr. Safar also founded new academic departments and research programs in the fields of anesthesiology, critical care medicine, pain medicine, resuscitation and emergency medicine. This prototype of the mouth-to-mouth airway was made of chrome. A plastic version called the “Resuscitube” was made by Johnson & Johnson; it became standard equipment in ambulances.

Note Type: Exhibition
Notes: Selected for the WLM website.

Access Key: aldl

Accession No.: 2001-08-16-4 D

Title: Resusitube airway.

Author: Safar, Peter J., 1924-2003.

Author: McMahon, Martin C., 1910-2005.

Corporate Author: Johnson & Johnson.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Mouth-to-mouth airway.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Safar airway.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Safar oropharyngeal airway.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Supraglottic airway.

Publisher: U.S.A. : Johnson & Johnson., [between 1959 and 1990?].

Physical Description: 1 airway : plastic ; 4.5 x 10 x 17.5 cm.

Subject: Airway Management – instrumentation.
Subject: Oropharyngeal Airway Devices.
Subject: Resuscitation – instrumentation.
Subject: Respiration, Artificial – instrumentation.

Web Link: https://www.woodlibrarymuseum.org/museum/item/823/mouth-to-mouth-airway

Note Type: General
Notes: Date early year in the date range for the possible year of manufacture is based on the earliest publications found in which the brand name Resusitube is mentioned (1959). The end year is an estimate based on significantly diminishing mentions of the brand name “Resusitube” after 1980. The date range could change if documentation that indicates the dates should be corrected is discovered.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Safar P: Mouth-to-mouth airway. Anesthesiology. 1957;18(6):904-906.

Note Type: Physical Description
Notes: One supraglottic airway made of a clearish white plastic; The measurements and physical description are based on the perspective of a patient, as though the airway is in place; The measurements are approximately 4.4 x 9.6 x 17.2 cm; From a lateral view the airway is “S” shaped; The longer portion is the oropharyngeal patient side, and is cured for the oropharyngeal space; The shorter portion is curved in the opposite direction, and is for the rescuer to blow into; Between the two portions is a hood-like oval flange, that is convex from the patient’s end; Embossed on one side of the patient end is, “ADULT”; Embossed on the upper half of the flange is, “RESUSITUBE Airway [new line] “MADE IN U.S.A.”; Embossed on the lower half of the flange is “TRADE MARK” [new line] Johnson & Johnson”.

Note Type: Reproduction
Notes: Photographed with a metal version (accession number 2013-06-26-1) by Mr. Steve Donisch, February 10, 2014.

Note Type: Acquisition
Notes: Donated to the WLM by the family of John William Pender, M.D.

Note Type: Historical
Notes: An anesthesiologist’s responsibilities include resuscitation of the patient, should that become necessary. The Austrian-American anesthesiologist, Dr. Peter Safar (1924-2003) and Mr. Frank McMahon (1911-2005) introduced their Mouth-to-Mouth Airway in 1958. Mr. McMahon was then a Captain in the Baltimore City Fire Department, which he later supervised as a Battalion Chief. He is credited with forming one of the nation’s first emergency medical services (EMS) departments. Dr. Safar has been called “the father of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation” (CPR.) His work, together with that of Dr. James Elam (1918-1995), led directly to the development of today’s CPR technique, and to the design of CPR training mannequins. Dr. Safar also founded new academic departments and research programs in the fields of anesthesiology, critical care medicine, pain medicine, resuscitation and emergency medicine. The prototype of the mouth-to-mouth airway was made of chrome. The plastic version, or “Resuscitube,” was made by Johnson & Johnson; it became standard equipment in ambulances.

Note Type: Exhibition
Notes: Selected for the WLM online exhibit.