Medical Encyclopedia

Medical Encyclopedia

Emergency airway puncture - series: Indications

 Indications

Emergency airway puncture - series
Illustrations:

  • Normal anatomy
  • Indications
  • Incision
  • Procedure
  • Aftercare

    • The area of the larynx bounded by the thyroid and cricoid cartilage is a frequent site for obstruction, either by swallowed foreign bodies or abnormal tissue growths. A cricothyrotomy is an emergency procedure that relieves an airway obstruction until formal surgical placement of a breathing tube (tracheostomy) is performed.

    Update Date: 7/25/2007

    Updated by: James L. Demetroulakos, M.D., F.A.C.S., Department of Otolaryngology, North Shore Medical Center, Salem, MA. Clinical Instructor in Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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