Modified Cricothyroidotomy in Skill Laboratory

Introduction: unsuccessful tracheal intubation is considered the most common cause of anesthesia death or brain damage. this study delineates our experience recommending modifications in the cricothyroidotomy technique .methods: thirty emergency medicine residents of participated in a study performed on the human simulator moulage in skill laboratory of tabriz university of medical science. the cricothyroid membrane was punctured using a 16-gauge cannula. later, j guide wire was advanced into trachea and standard 16-gauge intravenous cannula with a removable needle stylet withdrawn after the puncture being dilated by a dilator. consequently, a cuffed tracheal tube (id= 6) was introduced from the foramen. results: from 30 residents, 18 residents performed cricothyroidotomy within 1 minute, 7 residents in 2 minutes and 5 residents failed to fulfill the procedure. conclusion: several studies using cadavers and human simulators have demonstrated the pre-hospital feasibility of this technique. however, descriptions of clinical pre-hospital experience with percutaneous cricothyroidotomy are limited. this study shows that skill lab may help residents to acquire techniques required in management of difficult airway.