If someone is choking and the Heimlich Maneuver doesn't work after 3 successive attempts then a tracheotomy (also called a cricothyroidotomy) may need to performed, by trained medical professionals.
Step 1
Get someone to look at a clock/watch and call out the minutes (e.g 60 seconds have passed so they shout "1 minute"). Don't forget the rule of 3: 3 minutes without oxygen means brain death!
Step 2
Find the cricothyroid membrane (soft spot on the throat), cut it open in a up/down motion. To find this, find the Adams apple, or larynx. Below this is a second, smaller bump. The valley between the two is the spot to cut.
Step 3
Spread the tissue (skin etc) apart horizontally.
Step 4
Avoiding blood vessels and glandular tissue puncture the cricothyroid membrane with a knife (very carefully and never transversely) (or you could use a sharp pencil or ball point pen), to enter the trachea. The depth of the puncture should be just sufficient to gain access to the airway. No more than a half-inch or about 1.25 cm.
Step 5
To maintain the opening to facilitate breathing, a soda straw or tube was placed in the opening. A ball point pen casing is also a good tube. (Elapsed time - three minutes)
Step 6
Get the victim to hospital immediately where further treatment can be provided.
Tips
- Have someone call emergency services whilst abdominal thrusts and backslaps are being administered. Advise them that the airway is not clearing, and an emergency procedure may be necessary.
- Reassure the casualty, panicking may make the choking worse.
Warnings
- This is an extremely dangerous procedure, that carries a high risk of death to the casualty.
- Trained medical professionals only should attempt this procedure.
- Whatever you use for a breathing tube, make sure it is clean! Otherwise, contamination could kill the patient.
Things You'll Need
- A sharp knife
- A soda straw or ball point pen
