Cricoid pressure: apply – but be ready to release

Anaesthesia

Volumn 71, Issue 9, 2016, Pages 999-1003

  Turnbull, J ^a   Patel, A ^a   Athanassoglou, V ^b   Pandit, J J ^b  

^a ROYAL NATIONAL THROAT NOSE AND EAR HOSPITAL   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

airway; aspiration; intubation; regurgitation; ventilation

Indexed keywords

ANESTHESIA INDUCTION; ANESTHESIOLOGICAL PROCEDURE; ASPIRATION PNEUMONIA; CRICOID CARTILAGE; CRICOID PRESSURE; EDITORIAL; ENDOTRACHEAL INTUBATION; ESOPHAGUS OBSTRUCTION; GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX; HUMAN; OBSTETRIC PATIENT; PNEUMONIA; PULMONARY ASPIRATION; RESPIRATION CONTROL; RISK REDUCTION; SIXTH CERVICAL VERTEBRA; STOMACH CONTENT; SUPRAGLOTTIC AIRWAY DEVICE; VOMITING;

EID: 84982170370     PISSN: 00032409     EISSN: 13652044     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/anae.13594     Document Type: Editorial

References (46)

1. Sellick BA. Cricoid pressure to control regurgitation of stomach contents during induction of anaesthesia. Lancet 1961; 2: 404–6.
2. Cook TM. The cricoid debate – balancing risks and benefits. Anaesthesia 2016; 71: 721–2.
3. Priebe HJ. Obstetric tracheal intubation guidelines and cricoid pressure. Anaesthesia 2016; 71: 345–6.
4. Athanassoglou V, Pandit JJ. Cricoid pressure: the case in favour. Trends in Anaesthesia and Critical Care 2015; 5: 57–60.
5. Turnbull J, Patel A. Cricoid pressure: the argument against. Trends in Anaesthesia and Critical Care 2015; 5: 52–6.
6. Andruszkiewicz P, Wojtczak J, Wroblewski L, Kaczor M, Sobczyk D, Kowalik I. Ultrasound evaluation of the impact of cricoid pressure and paralaryngeal pressure on the anteroposterior oesophageal diameter. Anaesthesia 2016; 71: 1024–9.
7. Mendelson CL. The aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs during obstetric anaesthesia. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1946; 52: 191–205.
8. Warner MA, Warner ME, Weber JG. Clinical significance of pulmonary aspiration during the perioperative period. Anesthesiology 1993; 78: 56–62.
9. Olsson GL, Hallen B, Hambraeus-Jonzon K. Aspiration during anaesthesia. A computer-aided study of 185 358 anaesthetics. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica 1986; 30: 84–92.
10. Mellin-Olsen J, Fasting S, Gisvold SE. Routine preoperative gastric emptying is seldom indicated. A study of 85,594 anaesthetics with special focus on aspiration pneumonia. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica 1996; 40: 1184–8.
11. La Rosa M, Piva L, Ravanelli A, Dindelli M, Pagnoni B. Aspiration syndrome in Cesarean section. Our experience from 1980 to 1990. [Article in Italian] Minerva Anestesiologica 1992; 58: 1213–20.
12. Engelhardt T, Webster NR. Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents in anaesthesia. British Journal of Anaesthesia 1999; 83: 453–60.
13. Warner MA, Warner ME, Warner DO, Warner LO, Warner EJ. Perioperative pulmonary aspiration in infants and children. Anesthesiology 1999; 90: 66–71.
14. Cook TM, Woodall N, Frerk C. Major complications of airway management in the UK: results of the 4th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Difficult Airway Society. Part 1: Anaesthesia. British Journal of Anaesthesia 2011; 106: 617–31.
15. Robinson JS, Thompson JM. Fatal aspiration (Mendelson's) syndrome despite antacids and cricoid pressure. Lancet 1979; 2: 228–30.
16. Howells TH, Chamney AR, Wraight WJ, Simons RS. The application of cricoid pressure: An assessment and a survey of its practice. Anaesthesia 1983; 38: 457–60.
17. Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health. Why Mothers Die 2000–2002. The Sixth Report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom. London: RCOG, 128.
18. Schwartz DE, Matthay MA, Cohen NH. Death and other complications of emergency airway management in critically ill adults. A prospective investigation of 297 tracheal intubations. Anesthesiology 1995; 82: 367–76.
19. Fenton PM, Reynolds F. Life-saving or ineffective? An observational study of the use of cricoid pressure and maternal outcome in an African setting. International Journal of Obstetric Anaesthesia 2009; 18: 106–10.
20. Ajmal M. General anaesthesia for caesarean sections: are anaesthetists dealing with exaggerated fear? European Journal of Anaesthesiology 2011; 28: 815–6.
21. Smith KJ, Ladak S, Choi PT, Dobranowski J. The cricoid cartilage and the oesophagus are not aligned in close to half of adult patients. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia 2002; 49: 503–7.
22. Smith KJ, Dobranowski J, Yip G, Dauphin A, Choi PT. Cricoid pressure displaces the esophagus: an observational study using magnetic resonance imaging. Anesthesiology 2003; 99: 60–4.
23. Rice MJ, Mancuso AA, Gibbs C, Morey TE, Gravenstein N, Deitte LA. Cricoid pressure results in compression of the postcricoid hypopharynx: the esophageal position is irrelevant. Anesthesia and Analgesia 2009; 109: 1546–52.
24. Lerman J. On cricoid pressure: ‘may the force be with you’. Anesthesia and Analgesia 2009; 109: 1363–6.
25. Zeidan AM, Salem MR, Mazoit JX, Abdullah MA, Ghattas T, Crystal GJ. The effectiveness of cricoid pressure for occluding the esophageal entrance in anesthetized and paralyzed patients: an experimental and observational glidescope study. Anesthesia and Analgesia 2014; 118: 580–6.
26. Asai T, Barclay K, Power I, Vaughan RS. Cricoid pressure impedes placement of the laryngeal mask airway. British Journal of Anaesthesia 1995; 74: 521–5.
27. Li CW, Xue FS, Xu YC, et al. Cricoid pressure impedes insertion of, and ventilation through, the ProSeal laryngeal mask airway in anesthetized, paralyzed patients. Anesthesia and Analgesia 2007; 104: 1195–8.
28. Asai T, Goy RW, Liu EH. Cricoid pressure prevents placement of the laryngeal tube and laryngeal tube-suction II. British Journal of Anaesthesia 2007; 99: 282–5.
29. ™: a randomised study. Anaesthesia 2014; 69: 878–82.
30. MacG Palmer JH, Ball DR. The effect of cricoid pressure on the cricoid cartilage and vocal cords: an endoscopic study in anaesthetised patients. Anaesthesia 2000; 55: 263–8.
31. Hartsilver EL, Vanner RG. Airway obstruction with cricoid pressure. Anaesthesia 2000; 55: 208–11.
32. Georgescu A, Miller JN, Lecklitner ML. The sellick maneuver causing complete airway obstruction. Anesthesia and Analgesia 1992; 74: 457–9.
33. Levitan RM, Kinkle WC, Levin WJ, Everett WW. Laryngeal view during laryngoscopy: a randomized trial comparing cricoid pressure, backward-upward rightward pressure, and bimanual laryngoscopy. Annals of Emergency Medicine 2006; 47: 548–55.
34. Hawthorne L, Wilson R, Lyons G, Dresner M. Failed intubation revisited: 17-yr experience in a teaching maternity unit. British Journal of Anaesthesia 1996; 76: 680–4.
35. Haslam N, Parker L, Duggan JE. Effect of cricoid pressure on the view at laryngoscopy. Anaesthesia 2005; 60: 41–7.
36. Noguchi T, Koga K, Shiga Y, Shigematsu A. The gum elastic bougie eases tracheal intubation while applying cricoid pressure compared to a stylet. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia 2003; 50: 712–7.
37. Brimacombe J, White A, Berry A. Effect of cricoid pressure on ease of insertion of the laryngeal mask airway. British Journal of Anesthesia 1993; 71: 800–2.
38. Williamson R. Cricoid pressure. Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia 1989; 36: 601.
39. Lyons G. Failed intubation. Six years’ experience in a teaching maternity unit. Anaesthesia 1985; 40: 759–62.
40. Difficult Airway Society. Failed intubation and failed ventilation. http://www.das.uk.com/guidelines/cvci.html (accessed 20/05/2016).
41. Mushambi MC, Kinsella SM, Popat M, et al. Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association and Difficult Airway Society guidelines for the management of difficult and failed tracheal intubation in obstetrics. Anaesthesia 2015; 70: 1286–306.
42. Tournadre JP, Chassard D, Berrada KR, Boulétreau P. Cricoid cartilage pressure decreases lower esophageal sphincter tone. Anesthesiology 1997; 86: 7–9.
43. Garrard A, Campbell AE, Turley A, Hall JE. The effect of mechanically-induced cricoid force on lower oesophageal sphincter pressure in anaesthetized patients. Anaesthesia 2004; 59: 435–9.
44. Vanner RG, Pryle BJ. Regurgitation and oesophageal rupture with cricoid pressure: a cadaver study. Anaesthesia 1992; 47: 732–5.
45. Ralph SJ, Wareham CA. Rupture of the oesophagus during cricoid pressure. Anaesthesia 1991; 46: 40–1.
46. Bailie R, Stephens L, Warner M, Warner M, Domino K Liability and risk factors associated with aspiration: closed claims analysis. ASA Annual Congress; 2010. Abstract a789. https://depts.washington.edu/asaccp/sites/default/files/pdf/Click%20here%20for%20_57.pdf (accessed 21/06/2016).