Elsevier

Journal of Clinical Anesthesia

Volume 3, Issue 5, September–October 1991, Pages 403-405
Journal of Clinical Anesthesia

Case report
Airway obstruction following application of cricoid pressure

https://doi.org/10.1016/0952-8180(91)90185-PGet rights and content

Abstract

The widely practiced rapid-sequence induction with application of cricoid pressure is designed to facilitate endotracheal intubation in patients considered to be at high risk of aspiration. We describe a case in which this maneuver was performed on a patient with an undiagnosed traumatic injury to the larynx. The resulting airway obstruction required emergency surgical intervention. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of such injuries are discussed.

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Clinical/Research Fellow, Department of Anesthesia, Massachusetts General Hospital

Instructor in Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

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