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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
10:06
Manufacture of a Multi-Purpose Low-Cost Animal Bench-Model for Teaching Tracheostomy
Published on: May 18, 2019
[Prehospital cricothyrotomy: a case report]
F Battefort1, V Bounes, M Pulcini
1Samu 31, hôpital Purpan, centre hospitalier universitaire, 31000 Toulouse, France. battefort.f@chu-toulouse.fr
Annales Francaises D'Anesthesie Et De Reanimation
|December 19, 2006
Summary
A case of tonsillitis led to airway obstruction and cardiac arrest. Emergency cricothyrotomy was necessary due to an epiglottis abscess, highlighting the need for advanced airway training.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Anesthesiology
- Critical Care
Background:
- Tonsillitis can rarely lead to severe airway complications.
- Rapid airway assessment and intervention are critical in emergency settings.
Observation:
- A patient with tonsillitis developed dyspnea, progressing to cardiac arrest.
- Oral intubation was unsuccessful, necessitating emergency cricothyrotomy.
- A complete airway obstruction was identified, caused by an epiglottis abscess.
Findings:
- The patient's airway obstruction was secondary to a large epiglottis abscess.
- Successful emergency cricothyrotomy was performed using a catheter-over-needle technique.
- The patient ultimately succumbed to sepsis despite initial resuscitation efforts.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of recognizing and managing rare but life-threatening airway emergencies.
- Prehospital emergency units should be equipped with advanced airway management tools, including wire-guided or catheter-over-needle cricothyrotomy kits.
- Emergency physicians require specialized training in cricothyrotomy techniques to improve patient outcomes in critical airway obstruction scenarios.
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