How Do You Perform An Emergency Tracheotomy?
An emergency tracheotomy can be necessary if a person cannot breathe and the Heimlich manuver (completed at least three times) has failed to restore normal breathing. Hundreds of people each year die from various obstructions of the airways, and performing an emergency tracheotomy may be their only hope of survival. If the person is still conscious, quickly explain to them that the obstruction hasn’t been removed by the Heimlich, and an emergency procedure is necessary. If they are not conscious, or after you have explained the situation, locate the indentation between the Adams apple and the Cricoid cartilage. You can feel it by running your finger down your Adams apple. You will notice a small “valley” between the Adams apple and the cartilage, called the cricothyroid membrane. This is where you will cut. Using the knife, or razor, make a half inch cut, roughly a half inch deep in the cricothyroid membrane. There should not be much bleeding, if done correctly. You will need to open t
