Emergency airway puncture
Definition
Emergency airway puncture is insertion of a hollow needle into the airway done to treat life-threatening choking.
Alternative Names
Needle cricothyrotomy
Description
In an emergency situation, when someone is choking and all other efforts to assist with breathing have failed, a hollow needle or tube can be inserted into the throat, just below the Adam's apple (cricoid cartilage).
In a hospital setting, a small cut in the skin is made before inserting the needle.
Risks
Risks for any surgery are:
- Bleeding
- Infection
Additional risks include trauma to the voice box (larynx), thyroid gland, and esophagus, and perforation (tearing) of the lungs and other body parts in the chest, leading to a collapsed lung and air collecting around the heart.
Review Date: 7/19/2009
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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