A young child’s larynx was formerly believed to be narrowest at the cricoid level, circular in section, and funnel shaped. This supported routine use of uncuffed endotracheal tubes children despite benefits cuffed tubes, such as lower risk for air leakage aspiration. In late 1990s, evidence supporting pediatric emerged largely from anesthesiology studies, while some technical flaws remained a...

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...

INTRODUCTION Laryngotracheal stenosis can be caused after traumatic injuries to the neck from the subglottic larynx to the trachea. Patients with laryngotracheal stenosis often need a tracheotomy and occasionally may become tracheotomy dependent. Different procedures have been described for the management of these lesions. Management options include techniques of endoscopic dilation, laser rese...

PURPOSE To assess the effect of cricoid pressure on the positioning of and ventilation through the laryngeal mask airway (LMA). METHODS In a double-blind, randomized design, the LMA was inserted with (CP[+] group, n = 20) or without double-handed cricoid pressure (CP[-] group, n = 20). Ventilation through the LMA was assessed by measuring expiratory tidal volume and judged as adequate when a ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) is common and costly. In order to improve quality of life for patients and costs to society, better treatments than currently available are needed. The author hypothesized that manual control of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is possible by pulling the larynx directly forward with anterior traction on the cricoid cartilage. The purpose o...

Whether cuffed tubes should be routinely used in infants and small children has been extensively discussed in the past. However, opinions and recommendations were not based on scientific evidence but rather on empiricism. The basic function of a tracheal tube is to provide a reliable connection between the patient’s lung and the bag or ventilator. Ideally, this connection should be leak-proof w...