Abstract
Cricothyrotomy is a surgery often performed under emergency circumstances necessitating airway management or sputum discharge. The surgery is typically carried out by a surgeon, emergency physician, or otolaryngologist. In this report, we surveyed 99 patients who had undergone cricothyrotomy surgery at our hospital over an eight-year period. Emergency physicians were most likely to perform the surgery, handling 37.4% of patients. Next were cardiovascular surgeons, gastroenterological surgeons, and otolaryngologists, with the latter handling 12.1% of patients. In all, 87.9% of patients underwent the cricothyrotomy for sputum discharge. Intubation was maintained for 5 days or less in 45.5% of patients, whereas 18.2% continued intubation for 16 days or more, and 2.0% for 41 days or more. All cases that were intubated for 16 days or more had undergone the cricothyrotomy for sputum discharge. Complications occurred in 2.0% of cases during surgery and in 3.0% of cases postsurgery. Permanent vocal cord paralysis occurred in 1.0%. Complications from cricothyrotomy can be prevented by inserting the tube in the correct place and avoiding long-term intubation. If long-term intubation is required, evaluation of laryngeal function will be necessary.
