Airway securement can quickly become a complex task, especially in patients with facial burns, trauma, or compromised skin integrity. In these cases, traditional methods such as tape, ties, and improvised workarounds can create more problems than they resolve.

The Limitations of Tape, Straps, and Workarounds

Traditional securement methods rely heavily on the face, and that’s where complications arise. For patients with burns, trauma, or fragile skin, adhesives often fail, and straps may create uneven pressure that worsens tissue damage. Moisture, edema, and secretions only make these methods less reliable.

Even when they hold, tape and straps have associated risks. Device-related pressure injuries are common, with more than 30% of hospital-acquired pressure injuries linked to medical devices, and more than half occurring on the head or face. Improvised solutions may help temporarily, but they often require constant adjustments and can obstruct the mouth, making oral care and suctioning more difficult.

Why Airway Securement Needs a Different Approach

Airway securement often requires a balance between two competing priorities: ensuring tube stability while minimizing harm to the patient. Traditional methods rely on external fixation, using pressure on the face to hold everything in place. But what if securement didn’t depend on the face at all?

That’s where the HORSESHOE™ airway security device offers a different approach, using an innovative face-free design.

THE HORSESHOE Airway Securement Device: So How Does This Thing Work?

Instead of relying on adhesives or facial pressure, the HORSESHOE secures the airway tubes from within the mouth using integrated Molar Props™. These soft yet durable components rest along the posterior teeth—the strongest and most stable part of the jaw—creating a secure anchor point that does not touch the face.

The concept is simple: the jaw naturally maintains a gentle resting tone, and under sedation, patients are more likely to reflexively close their mouths rather than open them. The HORSESHOE works with this physiology. By positioning the device between the molars, it takes advantage of the natural bite to help hold itself and the airway in place.

The Molar Props are intentionally designed to be taller than the natural resting space between the teeth, creating a consistent working gap at the front of the mouth. This means clinicians gain improved access for suctioning, oral care, and tube adjustments—without sacrificing stability.

Designed for Real-World Patients

The HORSESHOE’s off-the-face design eliminates direct contact with the lips and skin, helping to reduce the risk of pressure-related injuries. Its adjustable ETT clamp accommodates a wide range of tube sizes and patient conditions, including those with facial burns, trauma, facial hair, or edema.

When added security is needed, such as in high-risk patients or during transport, a supplemental strap can still be used without relying on it as the primary means of fixation.

Shifting the Focus to Enhance Patient Outcomes

Airway securement doesn’t have to compromise skin integrity, access, or efficiency. Improving those factors can significantly impact patient outcomes. For clinicians managing complex patients, particularly those with facial injuries, the HORSESHOE offers a practical alternative to traditional methods that often fall short. It helps reduce complications such as pressure injuries, unplanned extubations, and interruptions to care.

By shifting the point of securement from the face to the molars, the device minimizes facial pressure while maintaining consistent tube stability. This protects fragile skin and preserves access for oral care, an essential component in reducing infection risk and supporting overall recovery.

It’s a simple but meaningful shift: using the body’s natural strengths to stabilize one of its most critical lifelines while supporting safer, more effective care at the bedside.

For more information or an evaluation of the HORSESHOE airway security device, contact your local MED Alliance Group sales representative, call 888-891-1200 or email us.

MED Alliance Group is a medical device distributor that has been dedicated to meeting the needs of our clinical customers and manufacturing partners since 1998. We specialize in the sales, marketing, importation, logistics and distribution of innovative, high-quality and cost-effective products found in anesthesia and respiratory, blood and transfusion therapy, EMS and emergency room, interventional radiology and cath lab, iv and vascular, as well as NICU and PICU.

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