Q&A cricoid pressure

Tenesma · Nov 21, 2002

i think the main issue with the amount of pressure required for appropriate obstruction of the esophagus (and thus attempting to avoid reflux of stomach contents during rapid sequence) - otherwise known as sellick/cricoid, is in properly instructing those that help us.... How often does the anesthesia provider actually maintain cricoid pressure? they are usually too busy intubating (which in of itself requires 2 hands)... so instead you have nurses, scrub techs, surgeons, surgical residents hold pressure... do they have a clue about the airway??? absolutely not... so being able to communicate the amount of pressure that will be beneficial to the patient is essential. so this number 4.5 to 9.9 pounds of pressure is more than just trivia.... no matter who holds cricoid for me, i will always remind them of the appropriate pressure and which direction it needs to be applied.

WntrMute2 · Nov 22, 2002

Agreed Tenesman, but the question asked for a particular number of newtons.

Tenesma · Nov 22, 2002

i know... and i think asking for the amount of newtons is stupid... who knows off hand how to hold 44 newtons on the cricoid??? i think if questions are asked they should benefit the student, not make the questioner look smarter...

kmchugh · Nov 22, 2002

Originally posted by Tenesma
i know... and i think asking for the amount of newtons is stupid... who knows off hand how to hold 44 newtons on the cricoid??? i think if questions are asked they should benefit the student, not make the questioner look smarter...

Oh, my, Tenesma, now you've done it. Gone and rained on the parade of all those CRNA's who feel it is their God given right, even duty, to make SRNA's lives hell. Good thing you went right to MDA, rather than taking the CRNA route. You would have been bounced right out of school for that attitude!

Kevin McHugh

Qwiigley, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, CRNA · Nov 22, 2002

Too funny!

I am having a much different experience in school than you all are. My instructors have fun, laugh and encourage learning. They want each and everyone of us to understand and to all graduate. I love my instructors, they encourage us, but keep things interesting.

It must be the laid back, surfin' attitude we have here! I like school! Hopefully, I will have great preceptors starting next week, too! I have heard horror stories, but not many from LA.

mac3miller2 · Sep 25, 2003

When I was a CRNA resident my staff MDA gave me a good way to figure how to correctly give cricoid pressure. Take a sip of water and try to swallow it while doing cricoid pressure on yourself, if you can swallow it, you're not applying enough pressure.

mac3miller2 · Sep 25, 2003

Originally posted by mac3miller2
When I was a CRNA resident my staff MDA gave me a good way to figure how to correctly give cricoid pressure. Take a sip of water and try to swallow it while doing cricoid pressure on yourself, if you can swallow it, you're not applying enough pressure.