Comparison

The Difficult Airway App vs Pierce County EMS Protocols

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

The Difficult Airway App

This medical app assists clinicians in managing emergency airways by providing rapid drug selection and dosing for RSI. It offers decision-making support with algorithms and mnemonics for difficult airways, along with educational resources.

Highlights
  • Adult and pediatric drug dosing for RSI
  • Obesity and hemodynamic adjustments
  • Broselow-Luten color system integration
  • Difficult airway algorithms and predictors
  • Step-by-step RSI guidance
  • Customizable drug formulary
  • Airway anatomy illustrations
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Difficult Airway App (v.3.3) The Difficult Airway App™ is an essential tool for clinicians who manage emergency airways in any setting: the ED, ICU, in-patient unit or the many EMS practice environments. THE RIGHT DRUGS, THE RIGHT DOSES, THE RIGHT WAY! This app rapidly and easily selects the right drugs for RSI, automatically adjusting for obesity and hemodynamics. Pediatric dosing and equipment selection is a snap using the Broselow-Luten color system or the child's estimated weight. Stay out of trouble! The Difficult Airway App™ guides the user quickly and easily through important algorithms, predictors of the difficult airway, and the step-by-step approach to RSI taught in The Difficult Airway Course: Emergency™. The Difficult Airway App™ features: EASY, YET SOPHISTICATED ADULT AND PEDIATRIC DRUG DOSING • For adult dosing, a few simple clicks bring you to recommended doses that incorporate patient weight, body habitus and hemodynamics. • The pediatric drug dosing function incorporates the color-coded system created by James Broselow, MD and Robert C. Luten, MD for rapid, safe management of pediatric airway cases. • The option to customize your formulary means that only the drugs you use will appear in the recommendations. DECISION-MAKING SUPPORT • Straight-forward algorithms allow you to quickly determine the best approach to your patient’s airway. • Easy mnemonics walk you through predictors of a difficult airway, including difficult laryngoscopy (LEMON), difficult BMV (ROMAN), difficult extraglottic device use (RODS) and difficult cricothyrotomy (SMART). • Pearls of wisdom, based on evidence and expert opinion, are offered throughout. RAPID SEQUENCE INTUBATION • The 7 – Ps of RSI: a step-by-step guide for adult and pediatric patients. • Adult and pediatric RSI drug dosing. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES • Richly detailed illustrations of the airway anatomy. • Links to information about The Difficult Airway Courses™. Created by Ron M. Walls, MD, Michael F. Murphy, MD and Robert C. Luten, MD. With significant updates by Calvin A. Brown III, MD.

About

Pierce County EMS Protocols

Access Pierce County (WA) emergency medical protocols offline. Quickly find information with indexed lookup and search, save important entries to favorites, and add custom notes. Content is regularly updated and always available on your device.

Highlights
  • Offline protocol access
  • Indexed content lookup
  • Title and text search
  • Favorites tab
  • Customizable notes
  • Regular content updates
Features
Read full description

Pierce County EMS Protocols provides quick offline access to the Pierce County (WA) protocols and supporting materials. Features include: •Quick indexed lookup of content in a matter of seconds •Search titles and text •Favorites tab for quick access of what's important to you •Updated regularly, ensuring content is up-to-date •Customizable notes for each individual entry •Always with you as long as you have your device and never fades or tears

Screenshots

The Difficult Airway App4 screens
Pierce County EMS Protocols4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pierce County EMS Protocols at Free against The Difficult Airway App's $4.99. Pierce County EMS Protocols also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1). The Difficult Airway App's advantage is ratings volume (22 vs 1) and chart position (#134 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Pierce County EMS Protocols is free to download; The Difficult Airway App costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pierce County EMS Protocols holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Difficult Airway App has 22 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Difficult Airway App ships an update every 10 months, Pierce County EMS Protocols every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
The Difficult Airway App versus Pierce County EMS Protocols: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Difficult Airway AppPierce County EMS Protocols
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (22 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings22 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 8 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#134 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB53 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperAirway Management Education CenterAcid Remap LLC

Customer experience

The Difficult Airway App

All ratings22 ratings
Positive77.3%
Neutral9.1%
Negative13.6%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive31.3%
Neutral31.3%
Negative37.5%

Pierce County EMS Protocols

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

The Difficult Airway App

No in-app purchases

None

Pierce County EMS Protocols

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Difficult Airway App free?
The Difficult Airway App costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pierce County EMS Protocols free?
Pierce County EMS Protocols is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Difficult Airway App or Pierce County EMS Protocols?
Pierce County EMS Protocols is rated higher. The Difficult Airway App averages 4.1 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Pierce County EMS Protocols averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do The Difficult Airway App or Pierce County EMS Protocols have ads?
Neither The Difficult Airway App nor Pierce County EMS Protocols shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Difficult Airway App or Pierce County EMS Protocols?
The Difficult Airway App ships an update every 10 months, and Pierce County EMS Protocols every 8 months. Most recently, The Difficult Airway App was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pierce County EMS Protocols on October 20, 2026.

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