FAILED INTUBATION AND EMERGENCY PERCUTANEOUS TRACHEOSTOMY

Failed intubation associated with difficulty with ventilation is rare. Cricothyrotomy may provide a means of oxygenating the patient, but in practice it may be difficult to perform and does not establish a defi nitive airway. We report two patients in whom percutaneous tracheostom y was used as an emergency procedure. In both cases placement was extr emely rapid and salvaged the situation, leaving a definitive airway.