title: Emergency cricothyrotomy for trismus caused by instantaneous rigor in cardiac arrest patients.
abstract: Instantaneous rigor as muscle stiffening occurring in the moment of death (or cardiac arrest) can be confused with rigor mortis. If trismus is caused by instantaneous rigor, orotracheal intubation is impossible and a surgical airway should be secured. Here, we report 2 patients who had emergency cricothyrotomy for trismus caused by instantaneous rigor. This case report aims to help physicians understand instantaneous rigor and to emphasize the importance of securing a surgical airway quickly on the occurrence of trismus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Seoul 139-711, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Koo Young
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000379:methods; D014313:Trismus / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*