Table 5.

Predictors of difficult cricothyrotomy54,55

• Difficulty identifying the location of the cricothyroid membrane:

– Female sex

– Age < 8 yr

– Thick/obese neck

– Displaced airway

– Overlying pathology (e.g., inflammation, induration, radiation, tumour).

• Difficult access to the trachea through the anterior neck:

– Thick neck/overlying pathology

– Fixed cervical spine flexion deformity