Cricoid pressure: apply - but be ready to release

Cricoid pressure, can it still be done?

Cricoid pressure.

PURPOSE Although cricoid pressure (CP) is a superficially simple and appropriate mechanical method to protect the patient from regurgitation and gastric insufflation, in practice it is a complex manoeuvre which is difficult to perform optimally. The purpose of this review is to examine and evaluate studies on the application of (CP). It deals with anatomical and physiological considerations, te...

Cricoid pressure application to awake volunteers: discomfort cannot be used to indicate appropriate force.

To the Editor: The lowest platelet counts at which one can safely administer neuraxial anesthesia for labour and delivery is controversial. Published studies are few and sample sizes small.1–3 We report our institutional experience with thrombocytopenic parturients, probably the largest group to date. Medical records from 1997 to 2002 of parturients with platelet counts < 100,000·μL–1 during th...

Cricoid pressure: the argument against

Cricoid pressure – friend or foe?

Cricoid pressure was described by Sellick [1] over 40 years ago to reduce the probability of the aspiration of gastric contents onto the pulmonary tree. It subsequently became part of the technique termed rapid sequence intubation and is used in most countries of the world as an integral part of the emergency induction of anaesthesia. Its introduction into clinical practice followed a simple te...