Richard M. Levitan, MD, FACEP, is an adjunct professor of emergency medicine at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine in Hanover, N.H., and a visiting professor of emergency medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. He works clinically at a critical care access hospital in rural New Hampshire and teaches cadaveric and fiber-optic airway courses.
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3 Responses to “How to Make the Incision, Insert the Tube in Cricothyrotomy”
April 27, 2014
DavidGood review. I like the catch phrases used. Gives good small tasks to focus on when in a stressful situation.
One question: the article says “It is only 11 mm from the cords to the carina”. Should be cm, yes? Regardless, the point made is well taken: don’t over insert an endotracheal tube.
May 5, 2014
Dawn Antoline-WangThank you for the comment. You’re right, the article should read 11 cm. We have corrected the error.
June 22, 2014
dskibbieA great article. My only concern is that using an ET tube for cricothyrotomy means that ANOTHER critical procedure is necessary, as the ET tube is not particularly stable. There are short tubes which are not nearly as thick as a shiley available. We use the Chinook kit for our air bases. It’s cheap and effective. It also works well with a bougie guided procedure. I’m sure there are other purpose designed crico tubes out there, and I am not affiliated with the maker. The other alternative is to use a 4 shiley.
Thanks!