The Difficult Airway

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Procedure

  • Identify proper landmarks
  • Prepare the area and stabilize the cartilage
  • With a scalpel, make a 2cm vertical incision down to the membrane
  • Locate the cricothyroid membrane again and make a 1cm horizontal incision through it
  • (A straight puncture and lateral rotation of the scalpel will sometimes work)
  • Insert a pair of hemostats and spread the membrane open
  • Insert the cuffed ET or tracheostomy tube into the opening
  • Inflate the cuff
  • Attach ETCO2 and ensure proper placement with ventilation

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