Table 3.
Landmark, finger technique, recommended force taught and applied by nurses.
| Variable | n (%) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||
| Taught to nurses | Applied by nurses | ||
| Landmark | |||
| No response | 98 (36.6) | 72 (26.9) | |
| Cricoid cartilage (CC) | 100 (37.3) | 74 (27.6) | |
| Below the thyroid cartilage | 35 (13.1) | 78 (29.1) | |
| Others (mild/anterior neck, below CC, thyroid cartilage or above, unsure) | 35 (13.1) | 43 (16.0) | |
| Technique | |||
| No response | 64 (23.9) | 103 (38.4) | |
| Press downwards with three fingers | 6 (2.2) | 6 (2.2) | |
| Press downwards with index, thumb and third finger, stabilise CC | 179 (66.8) | 94 (35.1) | |
| Pinch with two fingers | 4 (1.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Combination of techniques | 12 (4.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Others (BURP, middle finger to press, Sellick, unsure) | 4 (6.0) | 65 (24.3) | |
|
| |||
| All | Adult | Childa | |
|
| |||
| Knowledge of recommended force | |||
| No response | 124 (46.3) | 41 (15.3) | 26 (16.8) |
| Not sureb | 49 (18.3) | 90 (33.6) | 87 (56.1) |
| Do not know | NA | 24 (9.0) | 22 (14.2) |
| Acceptable force range (N)c | 78 (29.1) | 90 (33.6) | 13 (8.4) |
| 30 | 13 (4.9) | 11 (4.1) | 2 (1.3) |
| 10–30 | 1 (0.4) | 3 (1.1) | 1 (0.6) |
| 30–40 | 15 (5.6) | 14 (5.2) | NA |
| Reported force not accepted | 23 (8.6) | 23 (8.6) | 9 (5.8) |
Nurses in the All, Adult and Child groups reported the range of force as 5–50 N, 2–200 N and 2–50 N, respectively. aData presented as percentage of responders, whereby paediatric practice is applicable. bSome nurses reported ‘not sure’ and a force simultaneously — six nurses in the All group (taught to nurses) and two nurses in the Child group (applied by nurses). cAcceptable cricoid pressure included recommendation of 30 N, or the range of 10 N when awake to 30 N when under anaesthesia, or 20 N when awake and increased to 30 or 40 N when under anaesthesia or a range between 20 N and 44 N. Cricoid pressure in the range from 10 N to 30 N was accepted as appropriate for children. BURP: backwards, upwards and right pressure, NA: not applicable (question not asked)