Surgical cricothyrotomy performed by air ambulance flight nurses: A 5-year experience

Limited information exists in the current medical literature regarding the performance of surgical cricothyrotomy by flight nurse personnel. We undertook a retrospective review of all flight records from our regional air ambulance service. The flight team transported 2,188 patients during this time;...

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Veröffentlicht in:The Journal of emergency medicine 1993, Vol.11 (1), p.41-45
Hauptverfasser: Boyle, Michael F., Hatton, Diana, Sheets, Clifton
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Limited information exists in the current medical literature regarding the performance of surgical cricothyrotomy by flight nurse personnel. We undertook a retrospective review of all flight records from our regional air ambulance service. The flight team transported 2,188 patients during this time; 69 patients required surgical cricothyrotomy for airway access. In all cases, the procedure was performed by a flight nurse working under a predefined airway protocol. Indications for the procedure were predominantly for maxillofacial trauma. A secure airway was established in 98.5% of the cases (68/69). Acute complications involved hemorrhage (3) and placement (3) with a complication rate of 8.7%. We conclude that surgical cricothyrotomy can be performed by well-trained flight nurses with a high success rate and an acceptable complication rate.
ISSN:0736-4679
2352-5029
DOI:10.1016/0736-4679(93)90008-U