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An emergency surgical airway may be a life-saving procedure in situations where other airway management techniques have failed or are contraindicated. Whilst the incidence of the can’t intubate, can’t oxygenate (CICO) scenario is low, with estimates ranging from 1/50,000 intubations in the operating theatre to 1/100 intubations in the Emergency Department, being able to gain access to the airway via the anterior neck is an essential rescue option. The technique described on this course is an open surgical technique as higher success rates are achieved when compared to needle cricothyroidotomy techniques.Join us at The Procedures Course in Melbourne to practice this and other life and limb saving procedures.Podcast »Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS Further Reading »Crewdson K, Lockey DJ, Needle, knife, or device – which choice in an airway crisis? Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine 2013 21:494th National Audit Project (NAP4): Major complications of airway management in the United Kingdom. Report and Findings – March 2011Paix BR, Griggs WM. Emergency surgical cricothyroidotomy: 24 successful cases leading to a simple ‘scalpel-finger-tube’ method. Emerg Med Australas. 2012 Feb;24(1):23-30.Transition from supraglottic to infraglottic rescue in the “can’t intubate can’t oxygenate” (CICO) scenario. Report from the ANZCA Airway Management Working Group - November 2014Kristensen MS, Teoh WHL, Baker PA. Percutaneous emergency airway access; prevention, preparation, technique and training. British Journal of Anaesthesia 114 (3): 357–61 (2015)Anatomy for Emergency Medicine 07: Cricothyroidotomy - Andy Neill, February 2012Scott Weingart. EMCrit Podcast 131 – Cricothyrotomy – Cut to Air: Emergency Surgical Airway. EMCrit Blog. Published on August 26, 2014.
