Abstract
Before starting a procedure it is important to have all necessary equipment available including electrocautery and adequate suction. Select the appropriate sized tube for the patient. A number 7 or 8 tracheostomy tube is suitable for the average adult. An endotracheal tube should be used for cricothyroidotomy. The flexibility of the tube facilitates ease of delivery into the trachea. The largest size that can fit through an adult cricothyroid membrane is a 6 endotracheal tube. Tracheostomy should be done under controlled circumstances with good visualization of the trachea. Cricothyrotomy is done for the patient in extremis and is done more by feel than visualization.
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Borgstrom, D.C. (2015). Tracheostomy and Cricothyroidotomy. In: Halverson, A., Borgstrom, D. (eds) Advanced Surgical Techniques for Rural Surgeons. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1495-1_23
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1495-1_23
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