Case report: dealing with a ventilation complication after successful cricothyrotomy
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

A Novel Rescue Technique for Difficult Intubation and Difficult Ventilation
Published on: January 17, 2011
Jonathan Kei1, Paul B Dohrenwend
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Diego, California, USA.
Background:
Cricothyrotomy is a rare procedure in the Emergency Department, but necessary in cases where endotracheal intubation has failed and the patient cannot be ventilated. After establishing a cricothyrotomy, ventilation may be difficult, depending on the etiology of the patient's respiratory failure.
Objectives:
This case highlights a successful cricothyrotomy that needed further direct intervention to correct an air leak from the patient's mouth.
Case Report:
A novel double-bag technique (DBT), where an Ambu(®) bag (Ambu Inc., Glen Burnie, MD) was connected to the cricothyrotomy catheter and another Ambu bag placed over the mouth and nose, was employed to help solve the post-cricothyrotomy air leak problem.
Conclusion:
It was only after this DBT technique was initiated that we were able to properly ventilate and oxygenate the patient.
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