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Prehospital cricothyroidotomy: rare but often successful

Prehospital emergency cricothyroidotomy in Denmark: a nationwide cohort study, 2016–2023
Resuscitation · Added 3 September 2026

Nationwide Danish cohort of all 71 prehospital emergency cricothyroidotomies over 2016–2023 — overall procedural success 87.3% (83.3% in OHCA), aspiration and oropharyngeal bleeding the commonest indications, but the procedure was rare (0.12% of 39,885 OHCAs) and OHCA outcomes were poor (ROSC 25%, 30-day survival 4.5%, 1-year survival 2.3%).

Study type

Registry

Design

Nationwide registry-based observational cohort

Participants

71 patients undergoing prehospital emergency cricothyroidotomy (48 with OHCA), Denmark 2016–2023

Main finding

Procedural success 87.3% overall (83.3% in OHCA, 95.7% non-OHCA). Cricothyroidotomy performed in 48 of 39,885 OHCAs (0.12%). In OHCA patients, ROSC 25.0%, 30-day survival 4.5%, one-year survival 2.3%.

Caveat

Registry-based design in a physician-staffed Danish EMS system; very small numbers limit generalisability

Bottom line

Context only

Learning goal

Strengthen my judgement on when surgical cricothyroidotomy is the right airway option in can't intubate, can't oxygenate situations.

More

• Topic: Airway & ventilation
• Daily scan: 3 September 2026

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