An emergency intervention to provide a breathing passage for an individual with great difficulty breathing because of a blockage in the upper respiratory system around the voice box. A needle is inserted into the trachea (windpipe) through the skin and a membrane called the cricothyroid, which lies just below the prominent bulge of the larynx (voice box). A breathing device attached to the hollow needle then sends air in and out of the lungs.
In urgent situations where an immediate airway intervention is required, an emergency tracheotomy procedure is performed. This procedure involves making an incision through the cricothyroid membrane to swiftly open the patient’s airway.