See also:
     Rapid sequence intubation
     Rapid sequence intubation (Salt Spring Island protocol)
     Advanced airway support
     Nasotracheal intubaton

An emergency cricothyrotomy requires
     Scalpel
     Tracheal hook
     Dilator
A #4 Shiley tracheal tube is an adequate size for the majority of adults

Cricothyrotomy should be considered a blind technique. Success rates are only 70% for inexperienced clinicians.

Complications 
     Bleeding
     Creation of a false passage outside the trachea
     Injury to structures of the neck
     Pneumothorax
     Delayed voice changes and stenosis may occur

Needle cricothyrotomy
     Cricothyrotomy is contraindicated in patients younger than 12 years of age because of the small size of the membrane, and needle cricothyrotomy should be used in these patients.
     Needle cricothyrotomy utilizes a large-guage needle to access the cricothyroid membrane. Oxygenation can be performed with a BVM, or preferably with jet ventilation.
          Jet ventilation should be set at 50 psi for adults and 25 psi for children. Four seconds of expiration is allowed for each second of insufflation.

Content on this page has not been checked for accuracy. The author's credentials have not been confirmed. Always use multiple peer-reviewed scholarly sources and good clinical judgement in your decision making.

The Compendium platform was created by David Kwinter, MD, CCFP(EM).

Dr. Kwinter is a Cayman Family Doctor. He runs a Family Medicine Clinic at Cayman Medical in George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.